Top Tip: Use Plymouth’s Bus Lanes When Leaving the Ferry on a Motorcycle
Leaving the Plymouth ferry on a motorbike? Here’s an absolute cracker of a tip: look for the bus lanes that allow motorcycles. You could be sitting in the main traffic queue when there’s a lane alongside you that you’re perfectly entitled to use.
It amazes me how many bikes I see stuck in traffic without taking advantage of the signs. The useful bit isn’t simply knowing that Plymouth has bus lanes. It’s recognising that the signs can include motorcycles as well as buses, bicycles and taxis.
On my usual route out of Plymouth, heading east towards the A38, I reckon there are at least six of these signs. That’s a handy detail to know before you leave the ferry, rather than discovering it after you’ve spent your time following the queue.
The principle is simple: read the sign, check that your bike is permitted, and use the lane sensibly. It’s about making good use of the road, not rushing through the city.
Leaving Plymouth Ferry and Heading East
When I leave the ferry at Plymouth, I’m heading east and making my way towards the A38.
The key visual is the blue sign beside the lane. In the example here, it shows a bus, a motorcycle, a bicycle and the word taxi. That motorcycle symbol is the detail worth remembering.
For this signed lane, the permitted users include:
Buses.
Motorcycles.
Bicycles.
Taxis.
If you only notice the bus symbol, you could easily assume the lane isn’t for you. Take in the whole sign instead. The smaller symbols aren’t decoration; they’re the information that makes this local tip useful.
Why Bikes End Up Queuing Unnecessarily
I regularly see motorcycles staying in the main traffic stream where these signs are present. It’s understandable. If you don’t know an area, a bus lane can look like somewhere you ought to keep out of.
There’s nothing wrong with being cautious. The missed opportunity is failing to check whether the restriction actually excludes your bike. In the example above, it doesn’t.
Once you recognise the motorcycle symbol, you can make an informed choice rather than automatically following the cars. Where the lane is available to you and conditions make it appropriate, it may give you a way past a queue without needing to remain in the general traffic lane.
That doesn’t mean a guaranteed clear run out of Plymouth. It means there’s a legitimate option worth noticing. The difference is observation, not a clever shortcut or a special route known only to locals.
Ride Cool, Not Just Quicker
Remember who else is named on that sign: buses, bicycles and taxis. This is a shared lane, not a private motorcycle corridor. Use the opportunity with the same care you’d apply elsewhere on the road.
So, next time you leave Plymouth ferry on your motorcycle, don’t automatically settle into the queue. Look at the blue signs. If they include motorcycles and the conditions allow it, you’ve got another option.
A small symbol can make a useful difference to your journey.
Ride cool. Ride safe. Ride Spain.
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