Do Maine Drivers Have to Yield To City Buses Pulling into Traffic?

Until my mid 30's I almost completely relied on public transportation.

As I've stated on numerous occasions, I didn't actually get a driver's license until I was in my mid 30's. When I lived on the peninsula in Portland, it just wasn't necessary. I lived intown, I worked intown, and I walked everywhere I needed to go. And if I didn't walk, I took the bus. Even in my high school days, I took the bus everywhere.

When I moved out of downtown, my wife decided she'd had enough of carting me around everywhere pretty fast, so I finally got my license. Even though I don't ride the bus anymore, I have a soft spot for public transport. Knowing how tight their schedules are, I always let buses back into traffic. But there's a catch there...

It's actually the law.

In 2019, Maine passed the "yield-to-bus" law. This means when a city bus is pulling back into traffic after letting someone off, you're supposed to yield and allow them to do so. However, many drivers complain that people don't remotely pay any attention to the law. It's become quite a concern, according to WGME.

Here's the reason it's so important. Yielding to buses and letting them back in keeps the routes on time. People that frequently use the bus depend on it to get them where they're going in a timely fashion, just like you do in your car. Cutting them off and preventing them from doing so could easily slow down what's already a tight schedule.

So while it is annoying to have to wait that extra 10 seconds while the bus pulls back in, it's in the best interest of the greater populace to do so. But, we don't necessarily live in a world where people think of other people the way we used to. But then again, it's also the law. So there's definitely a reason to think twice...

People really do love spending time in their cars. This proves it.