Bus lanes which abruptly turn into a left turn lane

[matthewm158]

Hi all,

I am a bus driver and have always wondered the best way to navigate junctions like this:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/52%C2%B012'39.8%...

I am approaching from the NE in a bus and wish to travel straight across the junction towards the SW.

Should I:
• Approach from the bus lane and continue straight ahead in the bus lane despite the left turn arrows (which I have always done and I believe is safer)
• Change into lane 2 and change back into the bus lane after the junction, often there is traffic in this lane which would make this a difficult maneuver and could hinder my progress instead of using the full lane

Matters are further complicated by this sign which seemingly suggests you can't use the left turn lane to go straight on as it is signed as a no through road:


I can't find anything about this online but like I have said I have always assumed the first approach is correct and the signage and road markings are meant for cars. I look forward to your replies!

[BananaFama]

A bus driver that needs retraining is my answer .

[Rozzers]

Is clearly a bus and cycle lane. If it meant no entry to anything and doesn’t have traffic in it going the wrong way then what’s it for?

[Pica-Pica]

BananaFama said:

A bus driver that needs retraining is my answer .

Yup. I would presume your employer, if local, would advise you of these routes and accompanying signs.

[Riley Blue]

Stay in the left most lane.

[matthewm158]

Pica-Pica said:

Yup. I would presume your employer, if local, would advise you of these routes and accompanying signs.

I can't speak for all companies but in mine the route learning is pretty poor imo. It is common for someone to be shown a route once and be expected to drive it alone thereafter. The first time I drove this route I actually hadn't even seen the route before. I was just given it on a duty and had to follow written directions, which imo is diabolical

[Jaguar99]

You’re overthinking it

If you are in a bus (or other allowed vehicle) in the left lane you can carry straight on in the left lane into the bus lane after the junction

The red bar indicating no through road is in relation to the blue bus lane signs that will be after the junction at the start on the bus lane

[matthewm158]

For those interested, I've reviewed the Traffic Signs Manual and as the sign I posted has the left lane with "bus lane" written above the red bit, buses and other allowed vehicles are allowed to proceed straight ahead from this lane. It still feels odd driving straight on against left turn arrows though!

[matthewm158]

Jaguar99 said:

You’re overthinking it

If you are in a bus (or other allowed vehicle) in the left lane you can carry straight on in the left lane into the bus lane after the junction

The red bar indicating no through road is in relation to the blue bus lane signs that will be after the junction at the start on the bus lane

Correct on all counts

This isn't a situation I'd ever come across before as none of our other routes actually have a bus lane, and when you're driving a car it's not something you have to consider.

I'd prefer to double check that I'm doing the correct thing than do the wrong thing unintentionally.

Thanks all for your responses

[whimsical ninja]

Frankly, you're a bus; everyone will manage to work around you.

[AMC243]

We have this sort of thing all over the city centre in MK, if you're in the bus wanting to go straight on just carry on as you've been doing - it's a bus lane, you're driving a bus, use it. Anyone trying to cut in front of you is an idiot, they would do well to remember that they own their cars, we don't own the buses. I don't know about what you've got on your fleet but some of ours have air horns which are great for 'warning people of your presence'

[matthewm158]

AMC243 said:

We have this sort of thing all over the city centre in MK, if you're in the bus wanting to go straight on just carry on as you've been doing - it's a bus lane, you're driving a bus, use it. Anyone trying to cut in front of you is an idiot, they would do well to remember that they own their cars, we don't own the buses. I don't know about what you've got on your fleet but some of ours have air horns which are great for 'warning people of your presence'

Some of ours have air horns too. The problem I have with them is they can be very loud and startling at close range eg for pedestrians. I wish we had what I've seen on some lorries, which is 2 different horns: an air horn and a "conventional" horn. But honestly, like a lot of bus companies our fleet is mostly older ex-London buses and even if this were a thing it would take maybe 10 years for it to be available for us.

[Big Stevie]

matthewm158 said:

It still feels odd driving straight on against left turn arrows though!

Surely you aren't going against a left turn arrow, the arrow is simply saying you need to use the left lane if you wish to turn left, but you can also go straight on in that lane too? The red horizontal line is telling non bus traffic not to go into that lane?