My Exciting Commute To Work This Morning

[brat81]

What an exciting drive to work this morning.

For those that have driven up springvale road (braeside area) you know about the Bus Lane well this morning i decided to venture down that lane to get ahead of traffic so i could turn down Governor road as i reached the corner i see a cop with a radio calling out the cars that were driving down this bus lane.

Meanwhile i'm in the car swearing at myself first time i've ever decided to cut down this bus lane and i get nabbed. So as i turn the corner there's cops there waving in the cars the cop was calling out, he waves me in asks me the standard question "Any reason why you were driving in the bus lane longer than you should have been?" my reply to that was "no reason". So he walks back to the car doing his paper work.

Meanwhile they're doing a breatho test on the cars in front of me same cop comes up to my car asks me "any reason why you're driving a manual while your license states you shouldn't be" my answer "no reason", then he proceeds to do the walk around the car here's me crossing my fingers hoping he doesn't ask me to lift the bonnet (pod filter). He comes back to my window "where's you back P Plate it's not in your back window" "oh it's on my license plate since it really couldn't be seen from the back window as easy so i put it on my plates".

So then tells me you will be getting a fine in the next few weeks for driving down the bus lane and failed to comply to your license restrictions .

So i ask the fellow SAUers whats the price tag on these fines?

[funkymonkey]

firstly...

lol

now that's out of the way...

Google says driving in a bus lane was $225 and 3 points, driving a manual on an auto license is $168 and no points.

The rules are kinda messed up tho, cos if you were to just park your car in the bus lane, then you cop a $175 fine and no points. They can't even tow your car as it's not a clearway

Moral of the story, if you think you're about to get busted driving in the bus lane, pull over and walk away straight away. It'll save you $50 and 3 points.

[R31Nismoid]

Ring VicRoads

NFI what a bus lane is worth...

[brat81]

Funky monkey in regards to the picture the bus lane is on the left and i was turning left so i was using the bus lane as another lane.

Also while trying to find out how much it's going to sting me via a google search i found http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/demerit/demerit5.htm seems very interesting

[Birds]

firstly...

lol

now that's out of the way...

Google says driving in a bus lane was $225 and 3 points, driving a manual on an auto license is $168 and no points.

The rules are kinda messed up tho, cos if you were to just park your car in the bus lane, then you cop a $175 fine and no points. They can't even tow your car as it's not a clearway

Moral of the story, if you think you're about to get busted driving in the bus lane, pull over and walk away straight away. It'll save you $50 and 3 points.

LOL I concur. Sorry brat, I don't know the full situation but it sounds like you were queue jumping traffic and I hate it when pricks do that, just slows everyone else down by 10 times when they have to let you cut in.

[CsaEvents]

you can use a bus lane to turn left but only for 100m,

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Safety...Rules/Buses.htm

Driving in a bus lane

Drivers must not drive in a bus lane, except:

* for up to 100 metres when entering or leaving the road. For example: when turning in or out of a driveway, a service road or to turn at an intersection.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

sorry brad but i agree with shan's pic

[Birds]

Okay, so to clarify you were turning into a slip lane from the bus lane? I got confused because you said you were trying to get "ahead of traffic". Well that's a bit unfair of them to tax you for it but the 100 metre rule is still there I guess.

[brat81]

hmm pretty much screwed on that one i don't think it's < 100m

[KezR33]

3 points? f**k that I'd contest it saying you slipped in with less than 100meters to go.

If they were pulling over dozens of cars that day I doubt the cop who saw (and even less likely the one who booked you) could confirm whether or not it was more than 100 meters.

[brat81]

http://bit.ly/bGP7z3

that's the intersection i was done at see the "bus lane" it goes about half way down towards the waterway boulevard it's a dedicated bus lane

i used that bus lane to avoid waiting in the traffic to i could turn down Governor road i wasn't pushing my way into traffic in anyway i was getting out of slow traffic and using the bus lane to get to the turn off.

[krzysiu]

I know where your talking about brat. I live 2 min from that intersection. Bus lane on left side from the waterways estate and it's always packed in the morning so people wanting to turn left into governor rd always fly through the bus lane. That pic that shan posted doesn't reflect this scenario. I think it is 100m that your allowed to be in the lane for.

[MYSKY1]

the last time i incurred a fine was 2 years ago so not sure if things have changed but...

Shouldn't the officer have given you an infringement notice there and then? AND if so, it should state the amount owing?

Just my 2cents

[brat81]

with the amount of people they were pulling over i doubt they gave anyone a infringement notice, he was just writing it all down on a notepad.

[R31Nismoid]

Ye - when they do blitz's like that they just send them later.

Same thing they used to do on the Tulla FWY near the merge @ Essendon airport.

People cut the "service lane" all the time, and sure enough the time you do it two unmarked cars sitting there ready with a surprise

3 points? f**k that I'd contest it saying you slipped in with less than 100meters to go.

If they were pulling over dozens of cars that day I doubt the cop who saw (and even less likely the one who booked you) could confirm whether or not it was more than 100 meters.

lol you'll probably find the Police were about 100m away, or had an officer very near that - so should anything be argued your argument is nullified pretty quickly.

100m is shorter than people think, especially @ 40-60km/h

[brat81]

oh whoops i forgot to add the obligatory f@#k the cops statement.

[tss]

So i ask the fellow SAUers whats the price tag on these fines?

Drive in a bus lane when not permitted RR 154(1) $117 No points

Breach of a condition of driver licence or permit in Schedule 2 to the RS(D)Rs, RSA 18(1)(b) $117. No points

[Birds]

Can't get much more specific than that^^

Unless google maps is outdated I'm not seeing the bus lane turning onto Governor Road...and unless they extended the length of that slip lane, the slip lane itself isn't even 100 metres.

[brat81]

google maps is outdated it's now that red shit with BUS in big letters

[D-G]

Cop shop told me a couple weeks ago fine for getting caught with a manual on auto license is $110 no points.

I think they upped the points lost for not having plates up now though. Either way, good luck and just be thankful no license is lost.