The Student Room Group

Driving test, bus lane

So when you are aloud to use the bus lane at some points and you decide not to use them during the test, is that a fail?
Reply 1
Original post by amrin19944
So when you are aloud to use the bus lane at some points and you decide not to use them during the test, is that a fail?


No it is not a fail. Really with some bus lanes you might be at 30mph and in that case it's really hard to find out the times you can use the bus lane or not within a split second if you don't read it properly.
Reply 2
Original post by bammy jastard 27
No it is not a fail.
Erm.. yes it can be. If you're in the wrong position, that's a fault in itself. If you hog the overtaking lane, it's a big fat fail in much the same way as hogging the right hand lane on a dual carriageway. Following traffic won't be able to get past you, or you'll be encouraging them to overtake on your left.

Really with some bus lanes you might be at 30mph and in that case it's really hard to find out the times you can use the bus lane or not within a split second if you don't read it properly.
Signs are designed to be visible from a reasonable distance even at 30mph or more. Even if you miss the first one, there is another. Then another. Then another. There is little excuse for not knowing the hours of operation of a bus lane.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Advisor
Erm.. yes it can be. If you're in the wrong position, that's a fault in itself. If you hog the overtaking lane, it's a big fat fail in much the same way as hogging the right hand lane on a dual carriageway. Following traffic won't be able to get past you, or you'll be encouraging them to overtake on your left.

Signs are designed to be visible from a reasonable distance even at 30mph or more. Even if you miss the first one, there is another. Then another. Then another. There is little excuse for not knowing the hours of operation of a bus lane.


Probably but sometimes you are looking at other stuff which might mean you don't see the times of operation of the bus lane, or you may be blocked from using a bus lane because of a bus blocking your vision.

It's not like hogging the right hand lane on a dual carriageway because they are clearly trying to overtake other cars and you are not using the right hand lane of a bus to overtake(plus you are most likely going at the speed limit). I did my test and I didn't get marked down for it.
Reply 4
Original post by bammy jastard 27
you may be blocked from using a bus lane because of a bus blocking your vision.
That's a perfectly acceptable mitigating circumstance that examiners will take into consideration. You can't be expected to comply with a sign that you cannot see. If you are overtaking slower traffic in the bus lane, then that is fine too.

The fail occurs when a driver just automatically moves to the right on seeing the bus lane marking, but doesn't even bother looking at any signs. The first sign is in plain view, so is the second, so is the third. And the fourth. And the fifth. No bus in the way, no mitigating circumstance, nothing. The candidate only hogs that lane because he has no clue what the sign means and doesn't know any better; he just hasn't been taught about correct road positioning or how to interpret the signs. That candidate is the one who can and will fail.

I'm glad you passed. I presume the bus lane you didn't enter was actually in operation at the time :wink:
Reply 5
Original post by Advisor
That's a perfectly acceptable mitigating circumstance that examiners will take into consideration. You can't be expected to comply with a sign that you cannot see. If you are overtaking slower traffic in the bus lane, then that is fine too.

The fail occurs when a driver just automatically moves to the right on seeing the bus lane marking, but doesn't even bother looking at any signs. The first sign is in plain view, so is the second, so is the third. And the fourth. And the fifth. No bus in the way, no mitigating circumstance, nothing. The candidate only hogs that lane because he has no clue what the sign means and doesn't know any better; he just hasn't been taught about correct road positioning or how to interpret the signs. That candidate is the one who can and will fail.

I'm glad you passed. I presume the bus lane you didn't enter was actually in operation at the time :wink:


Yeah. I was smart and did the test at 9am. I know most of the bus times in operation are not good for school hours.
Reply 6
Original post by bammy jastard 27
Yeah. I was smart and did the test at 9am. I know most of the bus times in operation are not good for school hours.
That's what I suspected. That's also the vital information that was missing from your first post where you implied that one cannot fail for being outside a bus lane.

The OP implied that the bus lane is available for use at a different time of day and the candidate was intending to stay in the offside lane.

It's important that everyone is given the correct information objectively and is aware that an outcome isn't guaranteed as it depends on a lot of other things. If somebody believes that they cannot fail for something, and they subsequently do fail, that leads to bad feeling and future complaints that could have been avoided.
Reply 7
Original post by Advisor
That's what I suspected. That's also the vital information that was missing from your first post where you implied that one cannot fail for being outside a bus lane.

The OP implied that the bus lane is available for use at a different time of day and the candidate was intending to stay in the offside lane.

It's important that everyone is given the correct information objectively and is aware that an outcome isn't guaranteed as it depends on a lot of other things. If somebody believes that they cannot fail for something, and they subsequently do fail, that leads to bad feeling and future complaints that could have been avoided.


Fair enough. Although I would say that by the end of the test one or two bus operations were in use(I finished around half 10) so if that was still the case surely I'd have failed?
Original post by amrin19944
So when you are aloud to use the bus lane at some points and you decide not to use them during the test, is that a fail?


You probably won't be able to use it during your exam, most bus lanes are inaccessible until 8pm.
Reply 9
Original post by JavaScriptMaster
You probably won't be able to use it during your exam, most bus lanes are inaccessible until 8pm.
Times vary. A lot. Always be guided by signs. There is no "one size fits all" approach.
Original post by Advisor
Times vary. A lot. Always be guided by signs. There is no "one size fits all" approach.


That's true, I meant to say in most suburbs and where I currently live in Sheffield it's usually 8pm but in central London they're occupied 24/7 so like you said you gotta read the sign

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