What is the fine for driving in a dedicated bus lane?

What is a dedicated lane for public transport?

According to traffic regulations, a bus lane is a part of the road only for passenger transport. It is specially allocated so that city residents without cars can get to work and back home faster during rush hour.

In what cases is it permissible to enter the bus lane? This lane can be used by:

• trolleybuses and buses, including Gazelle buses, traveling along a specific route;
• school buses;
• passenger taxis;
• cyclists if the lane is on the right.

How is a bus lane designated? Such a stripe on the road can be seen from signs or markings. The signs show the bus and the direction of travel. Often the signs are duplicated by the capital letter “A” on the asphalt.

Usually these signs are duplicated by markings - the capital letter “A”. The letter means that the lane is for public transport only

In what cases can other traffic use this lane? This is only allowed in three cases:

• to change lanes to turn if the lane is separated from the rest of the road by a broken line;
• for boarding and disembarking passengers at the right side of the road;
• when entering a main road from an adjacent or secondary one.

You can enter the lane for turning, boarding and disembarking passengers, when entering the main road

How cameras monitor entry into public transport lanes. Traffic police cameras are often watching the strip. There are stationary ones - they are mounted on poles. There are those that are installed in the cabins of passenger vehicles. We wrote more about such cameras in the article about fines for video recording.

If the camera sees that the car is driving in the bus lane, it will remove the violation and send it to the traffic police. There the inspector will look at the photo and, most likely, issue a fine.

Why is there a “brick” sign above the bus lane? As a rule, the “brick” is supplemented with a sign indicating the lane - this means that the lane is only for passenger transport.

What do "hammers" mean? This additional sign indicates the duration of the sign. For example, a lane may be dedicated to buses only on weekdays.

Both combinations of signs and placards may be displayed above the passenger vehicle lane. The left one prohibits general traffic, the right one specifies when the lane is closed to everyone

Who is allowed to drive in a special lane

According to clause 18.2 of the traffic rules, driving in the bus lane does not provide for fines for drivers of the following types of vehicles:

• buses, trolleybuses, minibuses;
• school buses;
• passenger taxis;
• buses whose permissible weight is over 5 tons, and the number of passenger seats is more than 8, are approved by a special decree by the authorities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sevastopol;
• bicycles, provided that this lane is located on the right side of the road.

All other vehicles, including motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, are not allowed to move along the designated area.

Important

: if over special There is a “no passage” sign nearby (“brick”), so only buses, trolleybuses and minibuses are allowed to enter it.

What is the fine for driving in a bus lane?

In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the fine for traveling in a bus lane is 3,000 rubles.

In other regions - 1500 rubles.

Who can issue a fine? The violation can be recorded by a camera or an inspector. In large cities, cameras are placed in the cab of public transport - the bus drives and records everything that happens in front of it and behind it.

Is it possible to drive on a dedicated lane on weekends? Yes, if the “Public Transport Lane” sign is supplemented with a sign indicating weekdays.
In Moscow, since September 2021, 73 lanes have been completely closed to all transport except public transport. Since November, 14 more have been closed.

Can taxis drive in a dedicated lane?

In 2021, the government decided on the possibility of using this designated section of the road for the movement of legal taxis.

Initially, such a permit became only a reason for taxi drivers to receive new fines. The fact is that after the introduction of this norm, the inspection staff did not dismantle the signs prohibiting the movement of passenger vehicles, as a result of which taxi drivers received fines for violating traffic rules.

Moreover, the size of the fine for such a violation was so high that it discouraged many drivers from entering the dedicated lane again. And the owners of many passenger transportation companies have prohibited their employees from traveling to such sections of the road.

After several trials in the courts, government agencies finally had to start moving in the right direction. In particular, it was necessary to draw up proceedings, a special decree and the complete dismantling of all signs prohibiting the movement of passenger vehicles in such a lane.

Is there a fine for stopping at a bus stop?

Yes, the fine for this is 1000 rubles.

Exceptions are if the stop is needed to board or disembark passengers or the maneuver was forced. A stop is considered forced if:

• the driver became ill;
• the car broke down;
• there is an obstacle on the road.

In this case, the driver will not violate the stopping rules. Read our other article about fines for stopping in the wrong place.

What is the penalty for driving into a bus lane?

Sanctions for entering the lane intended for route vehicles, as well as for stopping in this lane, are established by Art. 12.17 Code of Administrative Offences.

It provides for only one type of punishment - a fine of 1,500 rubles. This fine is subject to a 50 percent discount, which is given to drivers who pay the fine within 20 days from the date of drawing up the protocol.

Fine for driving on a dedicated lane in Moscow and St. Petersburg

If this violation was committed in Moscow or St. Petersburg, then another part of this article applies. The amount of the fine will increase slightly: up to 3,000 rubles. This is also enshrined in the Administrative Codes of these cities. This fine is also subject to a discount for payment within 20 days, so the amount of the fine can still be reduced to 1,500 rubles.

Important! The increased fine applies to all drivers who committed a violation within the specified cities, and not just to their residents.

How to appeal a fine for a dedicated lane

Why are erroneous fines issued? At the time of the violation, the driver could be on vacation in another country, and the car could be in the garage. The camera or inspector sometimes makes mistakes. This happens in three cases:

• the camera incorrectly recognized the license plate, and the inspector did not check the license plate with the make and model of the car;
• due to bad weather the sign or markings were not visible,
• the driver had to avoid obstacles, such as a fallen tree, in a prohibited lane.

Due to a technical or human error, the driver will receive an unfair fine.

Appeal procedure. You can appeal a fine within 10 days from the day the inspector issued the order. The date can be viewed on a paper document or when checking on the Traffic Police Fines website.

Penalty for driving into a designated lane.

So, let's start right away with the basics:

To pay off this fine, the violator is given, as usual, 60 days from the moment of notification of the fine. Plus by this time the offender is given another 10 days to challenge such punishment.

In the case when the driver drove onto a bus line that is opposite to him, it no longer matters that the line is dedicated. This is where the principle of the severity of the violation comes into play - driving into oncoming traffic is a more serious violation and the driver will be fined for the more serious violation.

The fine for driving into oncoming traffic will be 5,000 rubles . If such a violation is repeated again within a year, it will be considered a repeat violation and the offender will be deprived of his driver’s license for up to a year.

Checking and paying traffic fines50% discount

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The date in the red frame is the day the inspector issued the fine

The complaint must be filed with the head of the department whose employee issued the fine. You can find out by phone - it is indicated on the decree.

The complaint must be answered within 10 days

What documents will be needed? If you were not at the scene of the violation you are charged with, collect evidence. This could be plane tickets or statements from people who were with you. If you were on a business trip, attach to your complaint your travel document, transport tickets, checks from the hotel and a certificate from the accounting department.

Don’t forget to attach copies of documents for the car to your evidence: license, policy, registration certificate.

How to appeal a punishment

If you are sure of your innocence, then you should file a complaint.

This can be done in three ways:

1. At the traffic police department.
2. By sending an application to the court.
3. In the center for video recording of violations.

Usually the traffic police does not resolve the issue in favor of the driver, so you have to go to court.

Procedure for filing a complaint

To challenge a penalty for driving in a bus lane, you first need to contact the traffic police. But for this, the law allocates 10 days from the date of receipt of the resolution.

How to proceed:

1. Drawing up the text of the complaint.
2. Preparation of evidence. It is necessary to prove the validity of the reconstruction, that there was an extreme necessity. It is better if a video recording from the car recorder is attached. It will help in legal proceedings.
3. Sending documents to the traffic police department. They can be delivered in person or sent by registered mail with notification. A list of documents must be included in the letter. If it is not possible to carry the documents yourself, a representative can do this, having in hand a power of attorney signed by a notary.
4. The law allows 10 days from the date of registration with the traffic police to consider a complaint. You will then receive a response by mail.

If the decision of the State Traffic Inspectorate is not in your favor, then send the documents to the court.

When can the fine be waived?

There are 5 grounds for cancellation:

1. When you entered a bus lane when absolutely necessary, and you have evidence. For example, a person suddenly ran out in front of the car. You must argue that you crossed the markings so as not to hit a pedestrian. When passing into lane “A”, it is much easier to avoid a fine. But if you change lanes in the opposite direction and there is an urgent need, you will still receive a fine of 1,500 rubles. However, this is better than losing your rights.
2. If you crossed an intermittent marking to get a person out of a car, without disturbing anyone.
3. To turn right, we crossed the dotted markings and entered the bus line without interfering with transport.
4. We entered the bus lane from the courtyard area and did not cross the continuous markings.
5. In the absence of markings and signs indicating that the lane is intended for public transport.

But know that each case will have to be proven, reasons, video recordings and other arguments must be provided. Otherwise, the court will find you guilty and impose a punishment. If the case turns out to be complex, then it is advisable to seek advice from a competent motor vehicle lawyer.

Remember

1. The fine for a bus lane in 2021 in Moscow is 3,000 rubles. It’s the same in St. Petersburg. In other cities - 1500 rubles.
2. Driving in the dedicated lane is allowed for buses, trolleybuses, school buses, passenger taxis and cyclists.
3. Other vehicles can also enter the lane and stop to drop off passengers. But if you stand up for a long time, you will be fined 1,000 rubles.
4. If the driver does not agree with the fine, he can appeal it. He has 10 days to do this from the date of the decision.

Other articles by the author: Evgeniy Lesnov

Is it possible to stop to disembark passengers?

According to what is described above, you have the right to drop off passengers at any place if there is a bus lane on this section of the road. But only on the condition that it is separated from the rest of the road by a broken line and not a solid one.

Otherwise, stopping on it for this purpose is prohibited, and you will face a fine.