Can I drive in a bus lane?
Drive through Adelaide’s CBD or on certain arterial roads often enough and you’ll come across a bus lane.
Given the name, it seems obvious, but are there circumstances where you can drive in a bus lane?
There are two types of bus lanes in SA – bus-only lanes and priority bus lanes.
Bus only lanes
Bus-only lanes are painted red or have red line markings and ‘BUS ONLY’ in white lettering at least every 200 metres. For example, on Hackney Road where the lanes are only for O-Bahn buses.
Only public buses and emergency vehicles can use bus-only lanes legally.
Get caught driving or stopping in a bus only lane and you’re looking at a fine of $289, plus a $105 Victims of Crime Levy.
Remember, don’t drive in the red.
Priority bus lanes
Priority bus lanes, found on roads like Grenfell Street, Currie Street and Anzac Highway, are shown by painted signs in the lane.
These lanes are for buses, emergency vehicles, cyclists and taxi drivers to use during the times stated on the signs or marked on the road.
Some bus lanes operate on weekdays between 7am and 7pm, while others operate during the morning and afternoon peak times. Outside the indicated times, any vehicle can use them. If no times or days are specified, restrictions always apply.
While a priority bus lane is active, you must not park, stop or drive the lane, except when entering or leaving a road, overtaking a vehicle turning right or making a U-turn, or avoiding an obstruction. In each case, the maximum distance you can travel in the priority bus lane is 100 metres.
For example, you’re travelling west along Currie Street in the right lane and turning left onto Morphett Street at Light Square. You can legally use the bus lane to make the turn as long as you travel less than 100 metres in the lane.
Fail to follow the rules and you risk a $329 fine and a $105 Victims of Crime Levy.
Giving way to buses
While we’re talking buses, it’s timely to mention the rules around giving way to them.
In a built-up area, drivers and cyclists must give way to any bus displaying a ‘give way to buses’ sign if it’s indicating to pull out from the kerb.
On roads with two or more car lanes, this only applies to drivers in the left lane or cyclists in a bike lane. If the left lane is blocked by a parked vehicle, drivers in the next lane over must also give way.
If there’s no give way sign displayed on the bus, you don’t need to legally give way. The rule only applies when a bus is entering traffic, not changing lanes, although it’s always courteous to let the bus in if you can. Bus drivers are still required to indicate right for at least five seconds before moving off from the side of the road.