Trial-backed move adds key Melbourne routes, aiming to improve rider safety and cut time spent weaving through traffic
Victorian motorcyclists will now be able to use bus lanes permanently at three key Melbourne locations after a long-running trial found safety and traffic benefits.
The change allows motorcycles to use bus lanes on Victoria Parade between Hoddle Street and Nicholson Street in both directions, and on the Eastern Freeway westbound between Chandler Highway and Hoddle Street. Riders can also continue using the southbound bus lane on Hoddle Street, which was made permanent in 2019.
The Victorian government said the decision followed a trial that began in July 2019 and found improved travel times for riders, with “no negative safety impacts for riders or other motorists, and no impact on bus travel times.”
The move is designed to give riders a more predictable route through congestion and reduce the need for lane weaving in heavy traffic.
Victorian Roads and Road Safety Minister Ros Spence said the reform was a practical safety step for a high-risk road user group.
“Motorcyclists are some of our most vulnerable road users, and we’re making practical changes to help them stay safer on our roads,” she said.
“This is about helping riders avoid traffic, travel more safely and get to their destination sooner.”
The safety case is clear. While motorcycles make up less than four per cent of registered vehicles in Victoria, riders accounted for 21 per cent of road deaths in 2025.
The initiative is funded through the state’s motorcycle safety levy, which adds about $84 a year to registration costs. Since its introduction, more than $100 million has been directed into motorcycle-focused safety measures including infrastructure, education and research.
Riders will still need to watch the signs, with access restricted to specified stretches and, in some cases, certain times of day.
Victorian Motorcycle Council chair Rob Salvatore welcomed the decision, saying the trial showed the lanes could be shared safely.
He described the announcement as “very welcome news” and said he “looks forward to this primary road safety benefit expanding more broadly throughout the network.”
“This is a great example of the Motorcycle Community Engagement Panel, working steadily with government to improve motorcycle safety in Victoria,” he said.
The change also highlights how inconsistent motorcycle lane rules remain across Australia. In New South Wales, riders can use transit lanes, taxi lanes and bus lanes, but not bus only lanes. In Queensland and Western Australia, transit lanes are permitted but bus lanes are not. In South Australia, riders are also barred from bus lanes.
For Victorian riders, the latest decision marks a meaningful expansion of road access in some of Melbourne’s busiest corridors, with the government betting the measure will make commuting both safer and smoother.
