Buses and Taxi's running red lights

Wallace1492

I see this virtually every day, ok buses are long and can get caught in junctions, but I see plenty that head through amber and even red. Same with Taxi's.

Are these drivers immune from prosecuation?

thecrofter

Yes, unless they actually kill someone

veronese68

I asked a policeman stood next to a very badly designed junction wether I should obey the traffic lights or the give way lines painted across the cycle lane a couple of feet further on. He said the ridiculous design meant I could do as I pleased in his view, carried on to say all of the buses ploughing on through red lights were far more of a concern to him.

antikythera

I've noticed this is getting worse. My commute through east London (near Liverpool St), is hive of activity for CrossFail. There are quite a few streets that are being blocked in one of both directions causing lots of bottle necks.

In the last six months the intersections have become more congested as taxis, trucks and buses run red lights. Nowadays they enter even after the opposing lights have turned green. Effectively blocking any other traffic from crossing (during that cycle).

Wouldn't mind a few red-light cameras in the area :-)

Pufftmw

Once sat next to a m/c copper in Upper Grosvenor St waiting to turn left into Park Lane. Lights went to Amber for us to go and a London Bus came sailing through on Park Lane. Myself and 2 other car drivers turned to look at the copper, who visibly sighed and put on his blues/2s to go and nick the driver. Am sure he wouldn't have bothered if we hadn't been there...

walkingbootweather

Was out with a bloke from work and he ran a red light. I said "what the hell are you doing?". He excused himself with the justification that his brother always does the same!!!! Believe it or not, he ran three more sets of red lights before screeching to a halt at a green light! "My brother", he reasoned "might be coming the other way"........

jonny_trousers

Yeah, I'm sure it's getting worse.

I think it was Dara O'Brian who did a stand up routine about driving where he says to many London motorists, the lights turning red means, 'Ah, go on then, just another three of you.' Sadly I think many people actually believe this.

EKE_38BPM

I was on my way home the other day on the Euston Road when a set of lights changed to red. A black cab jumped the lights but because it was a yellow box junction and the exit would have been blocked he reversed back out of the yellow boxes.
As the road ahead cleared he then tried to go across the junction, but crossing traffic meant he had to reverse out of the junction again.

When the lights changed to green all of the traffic set off and I immediately caught up to him. As his window was open I pulled up to him and asked him:
"Are you new to this driving lark?"
"Me? Nah! I've been driving for over 30 years. Why do you ask?"*
"I ask because you don't seem to be very good at it."
"Why you little...I oughta f*cking run you over!"
"You'd probably miss!" I shouted as I rode away. I think he did swerve towards me.

* Edited to prevent me being banned by the mods.

walkingbootweather

EKE_38BPM wrote:

"Why you little...I oughta f*cking run you over!"

Good quip EKE.

Are we able to determine from the driver's comments that he probably wasn't racist (in a John Terry sort of way - allegedly), but he may have been sizeist?

Applespider

I had a rant about a mad motorist the other night.

The light was amber as I reached the ASL and since it's a T junction and I was turning right across the T, I figured that it would be safer to stop as did the car in the right hand lane also going that way. Some idiot who must have started off behind that car, then screeched around and between me (at the front of the ASL) and the car and turned right. I - and the other driver - just gaped at the space he got through - I'm still not entirely sure how he didn't scrape either me or the car.

Some of it is also due to the traffic light phasing - if it's a junction that only seems to let out 2-3 cars, then lots of regulars will run it. If it's likely to just be a 30 second wait, they're more likely to be patient. The lights at Stockwell coming from Brixton are in the former group - I swear they are green for about 15 seconds and then red for a minute or so. The only group of road users who make it through (in the morning) within one phase are those on two wheels who can filter to the front.

EKE_38BPM

walkingbootweather wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

"Why you little...I oughta f*cking run you over!"

Good quip EKE.

Are we able to determine from the driver's comments that he probably wasn't racist (in a John Terry sort of way - allegedly), but he may have been sizeist?

I would not accuse this 'driver' of racism. He was also of an ethnic minority, but a different one from me, so racism could still have happened, but it didn't.