Police are reminding Canberrans that cars are not allowed to drive in bus lanes. Photo: Michelle Kroll, Region Media.
ACT Policing are warning Canberrans that the fine for driving in bus lanes has increased to $484 after police caught 100 drivers driving in a bus lane in just half an hour.
On Thursday morning (31 October), police conducted a high visibility operation targeting the use of the city-bound bus lane on Barry Drive during peak-hour traffic. During a 30-minute period, police saw around 100 drivers enter the bus lane before the broken white lines near the turnoff to Dryandra Street.
This morning (1 November), police detected another 80 drivers in the bus lane at the same location.
All drivers spoken to were issued with cautions but Officer in Charge of Traffic Operations Detective Acting Station Sergeant Marcus Boorman said next time drivers will not be so lucky.
“It is important for drivers to understand the rules and their responsibilities around bus lanes,” Detective Acting Station Sergeant Boorman said.
“The majority of drivers said they entered the bus lane early as they were turning left into Dryandra Street, but that is simply not a good enough reason for disobeying the road rules. Police will be targeting this offence in the coming weeks and months. If you drive in the bus lane, infringements will be handed out.”
Detective Acting Station Sergeant Marcus Boorman said the fine for driving in a bus lane has increased to $484. Photo: Michelle Kroll, Region Media.
Detective Acting Station Sergeant Boorman said the majority of motorists admitted to police that they had entered the bus lane well before the turnoff and well aware of the road rules.
“I would say that the majority of people out there know the laws but they make a conscious decision to roll the dice,” he said. “It was quite astounding that we have had to speak to so many that are doing it while police were standing there.
“The majority of excuses was that I am in a hurry, but at the end of the day, that is not a reasonable excuse.”
From today, the fine for driving in a bus lane has increased to $484 from $419.
Cars are only permitted to move into the bus lane where there are broken white lines, and they commit an offence if they cross a solid white line to move into the bus lane. Buses, taxis, Ubers and motorcyclists are permitted to use bus lanes.
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