Carpooling from Berchem to Luxembourg on the A3: is it observed?
It is a big change for the A3 motorway whose Three -lane expansion started a few months ago and still several years until 2030 It will take: Since Sunday the third lane has been in the direction of Bettemburg/Luxembourg-City between the Berchem rest area and the Gasperich motorway junction. A third lane will be officially opened in the opposite direction next Sunday.
The following regulation now applies to the 2.1 kilometers between Berchem and Gasperich: The third, new lane is reserved for carpools and buses. Cars must have at least two people on board to be able to use them.
The top speed is 90 km/h on all three lanes, at peak times (between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. towards Luxembourg city and between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. towards France when the third lane is open) 70 km/h. Buses are allowed to drive the hard shoulder with a maximum of 70 km/h.
15 minutes and numerous administrative offenses
On Monday, the trail could be used for the first time in rush hour. The question arose whether the regulation of the third lane for carpools is also met.
In order to at least partially answer this question, « Virgule » has carried out a count. From the bridge that leads over the A3, those vehicles that used the third lane were counted: vehicles with at least two people on board in one track, vehicles with only one person in the other track. Buses and minibuses were not counted.
The short test lasted 15 minutes and took place between 7.40 a.m. and 7.55 a.m. At that time, traffic on the two « classic » lanes towards the Gasperich junction ran slower.
The A3 and the third lane for carpools between Berchem and Gasperich on Monday morning. Photo: Virgule
The result of the count: 165 vehicles were counted on the trail for carpools within a quarter of an hour, 75 with two or more people on board, 90 only with the driver on board. In most cases (54.5 percent), the vehicles that used the new third trail had no place there.
74 euro punishment: This new motorway rule is now valid on the A3
A fine of at least 74 euros
Some could have overlooked the new regulation, since the release of the third lane was only known on Friday morning. But the big blue signs along the A3 and the lane markings could hardly be overlooked. The “soloists” among drivers therefore also used the mobile communion track to benefit from the free trail and to avoid the delays and traffic jams during the rush hours.
As a reminder: violations are made with a Fine of at least 74 euros punished. The police had announced to carry out controls. At the request of « Virgule » on the late Monday morning, the authorities were not yet able to take a first balance sheet. The controls are to be automated later.
A considerable time gain for the buses
Although most drivers ignore this rule, the third lane fulfills its purpose for the « carpools » and the bus users. Anne, a cross -border commuter from Thionville, is one that benefits from it.
For the buses, the carpooling means a time gain. Photo: Virgule
She climbed into a bus of RGTR line 504 at around 8 a.m. on Monday morning because the SNCF trains had painted. « There was a truck on the Gaspericher Kreu, so there was a traffic jam from the border. But our bus could easily drive on the new left lane that was free. We saved a lot of time compared to the cars that were stuck. Maybe a quarter of an hour.
Up to five times more vehicles on Luxembourg’s highways
Her goal, the district of Cloche D’Or, reached Anne even a few minutes earlier than specified in the timetable. It does not rule out that it will use the RGTR lines more often in the future: « As soon as the motorway is three lane from the border and a trace is reserved for the buses, this should really be an advantage, because there is usually traffic jams in front of Berchem, » she adds.
Thishe article first appeared at « Virgule ». Translation and editing: Nadine Schartz
