Page:UK Traffic Signs Manual - Chapter 3 Regulatory Signs. 2008 (Second Impression 2008).pdf/143

 Where cycles are prohibited, the sign to diagram 617 (no vehicles) with an exception plate to diagram 618.1 should be used (see paras 5.5 and 5.7).

A bus gate is a short length of bus-only street (see para 15.4). On a two—way road, access may be restricted to buses in one direction only, with all traffic permitted in the opposite direction, i.e. similar to a contra-flow lane, but too short to be signed as such. In this case, that part of the carriageway reserved for buses should be separated from the opposing flow of traffic by a traffic island and not by a continuous line marking to diagram 1049 (see figure 15-13). Bus gates are often used to remove through traffic from a road but allow full access. They effectively create a "no through road" for all traffic other than buses. The bus gate may be located either at a junction or part way along a road, and may be used by pedal cycles and taxis where permitted by the order. An example is shown in figure 15-14.

Figure 15-14 Example of a two—way bus gate

A bus gate is signed in a similar manner to a bus-only street, using signs to diagrams 953 and 953.2. Where the bus gate is a short length of one-way road which leads to a two—way road used by all traffic, the opposite end of the gate must have "no entry" signs to diagram 616.

The appropriate road markings for bus-only streets and bus gates are diagrams 1048.3 BUS ONLY and 1048.4 BUS AND (cycle symbol) ONLY. The latter may be varied to BUS AND TAXI ONLY or BUS TAXI (cycle symbol) ONLY. "AND" may be varied to "&" when the legend is on three lines. No markings are prescribed for use with the supplementary plates to diagrams 618.1 and 620. This would not be practicable; the descriptions of possible exceptions can be lengthy (see paras 5.5 to 5.12), and moreover these might apply only at certain times. 141