We would like to remind you that in Vilnius city there are special traffic zones established to ensure the safety and comfort of cyclists: the so-called Bicycle Streets (road sign No. 559), where a special traffic order applies.
Paragraph 178³ of the Road Traffic Rules provides that:
A Bicycle Street is intended for non-motorized and motorized (mixed) traffic.
Paragraph 178³ of the Rules establishes the essential requirements.
On Bicycle Street it is prohibited to:
178³.1. drive at a speed exceeding 30 km/h;
178³.2. overtake.
It should be emphasized that on Bicycle Street a cyclist has priority and can drive across the entire width of the road — he does not have to keep to the right edge. This means that a car driver does not have the right to overtake him — no matter how slowly the bicycle is driving. A strict speed limit applies on Dviračių Street — no more than 30 km/h. The purpose of the speed limit is to avoid dangerous situations, which are especially likely in the common space for cyclists and cars.
Where are bicycle streets installed in Vilnius?
Currently, such streets operate on P. Vileišio and M. K. Čiurlionio streets and on adjacent roads in the block — Z. Sierakausko, P. Klimo, Jovaro and Raseinių streets. A special regime also applies on Krokuvos Street.
Liability applies
A person who, while driving a car on a section of the road marked with road sign No. 559 “Dviračių Street”, overtakes a cyclist may be held administratively liable under Article 420, Part 1 of the Administrative Offense Code of Lithuania, for which a fine of EUR 170–230 and mandatory deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of 3 to 6 months is provided.
It is important that for the purposes of drawing up an administrative offense report, it is sufficient that the violation of the traffic rules is recorded by other road users, i.e. not necessarily exclusively by police officers.
We recommend that car drivers comply with the Traffic Rules, and in order to reduce the risk of possible violations, avoid driving on such streets if possible. If driving on Bicycle Streets is unavoidable, it is recommended to assess the need to use a video recorder, which, in the event of a dispute over the circumstances of a possible violation of the Traffic Rules, would help to objectively determine the situation on the road.
Having assessed the severity of the applicable liability, i.e. that in all cases it is mandatory to impose a deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle, we recommend that drivers on Bicycle Streets be especially careful and responsible.
