Bus lanes have been put in place, at some expense to the public, to provide on-street priority for buses. Their aim is make public transport more attractive by increasing the speed and reliability of bus journeys. When bus lanes were first introduced, it was agreed to allow taxis to use with-flow bus lanes while in service. This was a decision based on the fact that taxis are available for on-street hire. The National Transport Authority advise that the reference in section 11.4 of the recently published Integrated Implementation Plan to potential restrictions on the use of with-flow bus lanes by taxis, relates to possible interventions which might have to be considered in the future in specific circumstances.
Where high capacity public transport corridors, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or Luas extensions, are being implemented, it may be necessary, at certain locations, to assess whether all of the taxis seeking to use the Bus/BRT or Bus/Luas lane can be accommodated without impeding the high capacity vehicles. It is not an acceptable outcome of such infrastructure investments if the level of taxi usage diminished the effectiveness and efficiency of the BRT or Luas facility.
The principle that will be operated is that where taxis can be accommodated without delaying or impacting the operation of the BRT or Luas vehicle, they will continue to be able to use the Bus/BRT or Bus/Luas lane. However, where they would create delays to the BRT or Luas service, then consideration may have to be given to additional local restrictions to address that issue.
