What is the fine for driving in and stopping in a 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

How is the lane allocated for public vehicles?

On each route, the lane along which public vehicles travel is distinguished by characteristic differences. Every driver's license holder must know the indicated features so as not to drive on it.

The vehicle owner will only be issued a fine for driving on a public lane if he ignores the following information:

• The area that is allocated for the movement of public vehicles must be marked with the appropriate sign (3.1: “Traffic is prohibited”, as well as signs 5.11.1 and 5.12.1);
• Special markings must be applied to the road surface. The requirements for it relate to the presence of broken solid lines, as well as a large letter “A”.

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.

A fine has arrived: behavioral tactics

As mentioned above, the recording of the offense in question is carried out by traffic police officers or automatically by security cameras located on most road sections.

The traffic police officer draws up a resolution on the violation.

In the first case, the offender receives a copy of the protocol at the scene of the offense; in the second case, you can find out about the imposition of a fine on the official website of the represented department in the driver’s personal account or by receiving the fine by mail (both electronic and Russian Post).

In order to pay off the obligation to pay a fine, you can use one of the special payment procedures developed by the legislator to facilitate the quick payment of fines by violators:

• At Sberbank through the cash desk;
• In self-service banking terminals using special tabs (by barcode) or by details;
• Through the official website of the traffic police;
• Through the Sberbank mobile application;
• Through online payment systems.

If the offender decides to pay the 2018 bus lane fine through a bank cash desk, he must provide the cashier with the tear-off portion (receipt) and half of the amount written out. Since the payment is recorded automatically, there is no need to provide information about payment to the traffic police (both in general and to a specific inspector), since the payment is automatically recorded in the Inspectorate database. If there is no receipt, you can pay using a special form, which is purchased at the bank’s cash desk, but the amount of the fine will increase by the cost of the form.

A more convenient way is to pay through self-service terminals, which have special tabs for paying traffic police fines. The payer only needs to attach the scanned barcode of the resolution and deposit money into the terminal. You can also make a payment by entering the receipt details manually (this method is also used if the machine does not read the barcode from the tear-off part).

It is easy to pay fines through the official website of the traffic police. To do this, you must have any bank card on which the function of making payments on the Internet is available. After filling out a special form, the site will prompt you to enter your card details. Upon completion of the entry, you must confirm the operation, and the required specified amount will be automatically debited from the card.

Internet payment services (for example, Qiwi, Yandex.Money) also provide the opportunity to pay off the fine. To do this, you need to select the transfer menu, enter details and write off.

The legislator provides for liability not only for violating the established rules in accordance with which vehicles must be driven on roads, but also for violating the procedure for repaying a fine issued in connection with a violation of traffic rules.

According to the general rules, the violator is given 15 days from the date of receipt of the order in order to pay the prescribed amount.

If the given deadline is missed without good reason, the initial amount must be paid in double amount.

Important! In addition to preventive sanctions (a warning about the deterioration of the situation of the violator in case of failure to comply with the fine within the prescribed time frame), the legislator provides incentive norms - the possibility of repaying only half of the fine for allocation for those who deposit the amount of money within the next seven days from the date of drawing up the protocol.

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.

Amounts of fines in 2021

According to the traffic rules, it is prohibited for other cars to move or stop in the public transport area, except in cases provided for by current legislation. This issue is covered by clause 18.2 of the traffic rules as amended by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation 1478 of 12/04/2018.

For violation of this provision, administrative liability is provided under paragraphs 1.1, 1.2 of Article 12.17 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. These parts were introduced by Federal Law No. 69-FZ of April 21, 2011, and the first section was amended by regulatory documents No. 116-FZ of July 10, 2012, No. 169-FZ of July 23, 2013. According to these columns, drivers are fined for stopping or driving in an area that is intended for public transport.

The size of the fine depends on the city in which the maneuver was performed. In 2021 the amount is:

• for regions – 1500 rub.;
• for residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg – 3000 rub.

Other fines may be added to this penalty, depending on the situations in which the offense was committed. So, if the entry into the bus lane is made through a solid line, then the driver is held accountable under paragraph 1 of Article 12.16 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Sanctions are imposed for non-compliance with marking requirements. The amount of the penalty is 500 rubles.

If, during a maneuver, vehicles go to the side of oncoming traffic to bypass an obstacle while crossing a continuous marking, an additional fine is issued under Part 3 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. The amount of sanctions is 1000-1500 rubles.

If the maneuver is completed without the need to bypass the obstacle, then the driver is held accountable under paragraph 4 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. In this case, the punishment is provided:

• fine - 5000 rubles;
• deprivation of a driver's license for a period of 4-6 months.

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.

Types of bus roads

Bus lanes are usually classified as follows.

1. Converging lanes are visually similar to one-way roads, but are not actually considered as such. They are directed in the direction opposite to the main flow of cars. The use of the lane in question by the driver of the car to perform the maneuver is strictly prohibited, even if there are no markings.

It is also worth considering when other categories of vehicles can drive in a dedicated lane.

Taxi traffic

Despite the permit approved in 2012, which allows the use of a dedicated lane, taxi drivers are still afraid to use this part of the road, fearing fines. In fact, if a taxi driver works legally, with a license and an appropriately equipped car, there will be no problems.

It is also completely legal to travel by taxi in Moscow, even if you have a Moscow region license.

As for a specially equipped machine, we are talking about the following identification features:

• taximeter in the cabin;

If the equipment of the car fully complies with the standards for passenger taxis, but the driver was still fined, since the problem may lie in the register if the appropriate license was not included in it. To avoid this type of problem while driving, prepare in advance.

To do this, use the official website of the Moscow mayor and activate a search query using the following information:

• carrier name;

The specified data can be entered all at once or selectively. Print out the information obtained as a result of the search and carry it along with the documents on the vehicle.

Ambulance

The Ministry of Health regulates the time it takes for an ambulance to respond to a call - 20 minutes. To meet such a limited period of time, doctors everywhere violate road rules. In theory, the use of the bus lane by an ambulance is prohibited, but in practice the driver is unlikely to receive a fine if he was rushing to the aid of a woman in labor or a dying person.

In this case, flashing beacons must be activated without fail.

Motorcycles

It is also not advisable for motorcycles to use the bus lane for traffic, but in extreme cases, if there is a risk of an accident, a maneuver can be performed. Some sections of the roadway allow the movement of motorcyclists when traffic on the “dedicated lane” is also permitted for car drivers.

Bicycles

Cyclists can move on the far right side without hindrance, just like route vehicles.

Checking and paying traffic fines50% discount

We are checking information about fines, please wait a few seconds

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 report a presented offense?

Driving into the oncoming lane - fine in 2018

In order for public order to be observed more responsibly by citizens, it is necessary to rely not only on law enforcement officers, but also to have one’s own strong civic position.

In the event that a citizen witnesses the commission of an offense on the road, it is necessary to report this fact to the relevant authorities.

Every citizen can report to the Inspectorate a violation of traffic in the bus lane

As a rule, such reports must be sent to the traffic police, but it is also possible to contact the police with further redirection of the corresponding application to the department authorized to deal with a certain category of violations, namely non-compliance with traffic rules.

Every citizen can contact the traffic police in several ways:

• Personal appearance and writing a statement indicating all the details of the incident and information about the offender;
• Using the official website of the Inspectorate by filling out the provided electronic form;
• A telephone call (which is usually followed by the need to visit the Inspectorate);
• Calling the Inspector to the site of the violation if the violator remains there for a long time.

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

When is there no fine for driving on a designated section of the road?

There are exceptions to any rule. However, the worst thing is when car drivers perceive traffic jams on the road as such, as a result of which they risk driving around them in the lane intended for public transport. But according to the Traffic Rules, traffic jams are not an obstacle to the movement of cars. This means that car owners who do not want to be punished with fines have to endure and wait their turn.

In reality, everything is a little different. The driver of a passenger car will not be punished for the presented action only in the situation if he changes lanes onto a section of the road for public vehicles where it is separated from adjacent lanes by a broken line. As a rule, the presented measure applies to sections of the roadway where intersections are located.

Moreover, in certain situations the motorist is obliged to do this. For example, if the driver of a passenger car intends to turn right, but does not change lanes into a seemingly forbidden lane of the road. If this requirement is ignored by the motorist, he will have to pay a fine of five hundred rubles. These penalties are explained quite simply: due to the fact that the owner of the car does not make a turn from the extreme side of the road, he creates a dangerous situation on it.

In addition, there are other cases in which moving in a lane intended for the movement of public vehicles will not be punished.

List of designated cases:

1. If a motorist enters the highway from any establishment (for example, from the courtyard of a residential building) or from a side road;
2. If the owner of a car drives onto the right side of the roadside to pick up passengers;
3. Also, on certain days, the lane for the movement of public vehicles may be opened to all vehicles.

Drivers will not be punished for such actions. Thus, in order to avoid violating traffic rules and receiving penalties in the form of fines or deprivation of a driver’s license, it is important to familiarize yourself with the Rules of the Road and exceptions to them.

When is a vehicle allowed to use a bus lane?

According to the traffic rules, motorists have the right to enter the said area in the following situations.

1. Making a right turn and changing into the right lane. The permissibility of the maneuver is indicated by the presence of intermittent markings. Failure to change lanes in a timely manner will result in a fine of 500 rubles, since the driver creates a potential threat to others and himself. If the markings are continuous, the fine will be even greater, since performing a maneuver under such conditions is prohibited.
2. Leaving the adjacent territory or a road classified as secondary.
3. Interaction with passengers can be carried out at the edge of the road if there are intermittent markings. The driver must ensure that he does not interfere with others; a significant part of the road must be completely empty. If there are continuous markings, leaving or stopping on the lane in question to interact with passengers is prohibited. The prohibition applies even in the absence of any markings, but in this case a special sign indicates the type of road.