Driving with buses video transcript
Many roads in Melbourne have bus lanes. Bus lanes reduce delays to buses and improve their reliability and travel times. This bus lane is full time and operates 24 hours per day. You can tell as there are no hours shown on the bus lane signs. Some bus lanes are coloured red or have red sections to remind other drivers that the lane is for buses only. If you turn into a road and see that the left lane is a bus lane you must safely move out of the bus lane within 100 metres. Remember, if there are no times marked on the bus lane signs, then it is always a bus lane.
Some bus lanes are part time and only operate during peak hours. You can tell by the bus lane signs on the side of the road that show the times. Some bus lanes are also coloured red to remind drivers they are a bus lane.
As shown on the signs, this bus lane operates between 6:30 AM and 10 AM Monday to Friday. That means you may not drive in the bus lane during these times, except if turning to enter or leave the road. The rest of the time you may drive in the lane, or park if signs allow you to.
Bus lanes can be full time or part time and only buses may drive in them. This is a full time bus lane. You can tell by the bus lane signs and the letters 'BL' marked on the left lane. Some bus lanes are also coloured red for short sections as a reminder to drivers.
You may drive in a bus lane for up to 100 metres if you are turning left into a driveway or a road. Take care to watch out for buses when merging into the bus lane to make your turn.
You must not drive in a bus lane except:
- for up to 100 metres when entering or leaving the road
- to overtake a right turning vehicle or
- to avoid an obstacle.
You must give way to a bus leaving a bus stop. This helps reduce delays to buses and keep them to timetable. They often need to stop at bus stops to let passengers on and off. You must always give way to a bus that has its indicator on, showing that it needs to merge into the left lane. You must give way to buses.
A bus stop is signed and may be painted yellow to show where the bus will pull up. Buses need space to enter and leave the bus stop, so you must not park within 20 metres before or 10 metres after a bus stop sign. You must not park or stop within 20 metres before or 10 metres after a bus stop sign unless otherwise permitted by parking signs.