En bref
- A T2 lane needs at least 2 people in the car, the driver included; a T3 lane needs at least 3. A car with 3 or more may use either.[1][3]
- The sign shows when the lane operates, usually peak hours. If the sign shows no times, the lane is a transit lane all the time.[1]
- A private car may not drive in a bus lane during its hours, except for short distances: up to 100 metres to turn into or out of a side street or driveway, and to avoid an obstruction.[1][2]
- Stopping in a bus, transit, tram or truck lane is a $345 fine in Brisbane at the time of writing (November 2026).[4]
What are transit lanes and bus lanes?
Queensland calls them special purpose lanes: bus lanes, bus-only lanes, transit lanes, tram lanes and bike lanes. Each is marked with signs at the start and end, and often with words painted on the road.[1][2] The difference that matters to a driver is who else is allowed in:
| Lane | Allowed at any time | Private car |
|---|---|---|
| T2 transit lane[1] | Bikes, buses, taxis, limousines, motorcycles, emergency vehicles | Yes, with 2 or more people on board, during the signed times |
| T3 transit lane[1] | Bikes, buses, taxis, limousines, motorcycles, emergency vehicles | Yes, with 3 or more people on board, during the signed times |
| Bus lane[1] | Bikes, buses, taxis, limousines, emergency vehicles | Only for the short distances allowed (see below) |
| Bus-only lane[1] | Buses and vehicles permitted on busways, such as emergency vehicles | No |
Motorcycles may use transit lanes but not bus lanes, and personal mobility devices such as e-scooters can't ride in a bus lane either.[1][2]
Who counts towards T2 and T3?
People in the vehicle, including the driver. Brisbane City Council describes a T2 lane as one for vehicles carrying at least two people including the driver, and a T3 lane as one for at least three.[3] The government's sign guide puts it the same way: you must have 2 (or 3) or more people in the vehicle to use the lane.[2]
So a driver with one adult passenger can use a T2 lane but not a T3 lane. If you're dropping someone off partway along a transit lane, you're back to one occupant from that point, and you should move out of the lane once it's safe to do so.
When do the lanes operate?
Read the sign at the start of the lane and the repeater signs along it. A time-of-operation plate under a regulatory sign shows the days and hours it applies.[2] Transit lanes generally run in peak hours, but if the sign gives no times, the lane is a transit lane at all times.[1] Council's own example sign reads "T2 transit lane rules apply between 7am–9am".[3]
Outside the signed hours, a transit or bus lane is an ordinary traffic lane for driving, unless a separate sign says otherwise. Check the side of the road you're on, too: the plates facing the other direction of traffic don't tell you anything about your lane.
When can you drive in a bus lane without breaking the rules?
Any driver may enter a special purpose lane in a few situations, even when the vehicle isn't otherwise allowed:[1]
- to avoid an obstruction, or to obey signs that operate in the lane[1]
- to travel a short permitted distance to enter or leave the road, for example to reach a driveway or side street, or to move between a service road and the main road[1]
- to overtake on the left of a vehicle that is signalling and turning right[1]
- to enter a marked lane from the side of the road.[1]
The permitted distance is up to 100 metres in a bus or transit lane, and up to 50 metres in a bike lane.[1] In practice: signal, move in close to the turn rather than sitting in the lane for a block, and give way to any bus already in it.
What about bike lanes?
A bike lane is marked by a bicycle lane sign or a white bicycle symbol with the word "lane" painted on the road, and the surface may be green. A road shoulder with a bike symbol but no sign or "lane" marking isn't a bike lane.[1]
You must give way to bike riders when moving into a bike lane, and the permitted distance for a turn is the shorter 50 metres.[1] You may stop or park in a marked bike lane only if you're allowed to drive in it and no sign or marking prohibits stopping.[1] Riders don't have to use the bike lane, so expect them in the traffic lane as well.[1]
Can you stop in a bus or transit lane, and what are the fines?
No. Council's guidance on bus and transit lanes is that you can't park or stop in them; buses and taxis may stop briefly to pick up or drop off passengers.[3] The same goes for clearways during their hours, and clearway signs without times apply around the clock. Illegally stopped cars on a clearway can be towed.[3][2]
| Offence | Penalty units | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping in a bus lane, tram lane, transit lane or truck lane, or on tram tracks[4] | 2 | $345 |
| Stopping on a clearway[4] | 3 | $518 |
| Stopping in a bus zone[4] | 2 | $345 |
Council lists a penalty unit at $172.70 from 1 July 2026.[4] For driving in a special purpose lane when you're not allowed to, the Queensland Government says only that you may be fined.[1] In a Rentzy car, fines that reach us are handled under clause 10 of the rental terms.
Transit lanes matter most in the peaks; Brisbane's worst times to drive has the hours, and park and ride in Brisbane is one way to skip the inbound queue. Lane choice at a roundabout is in roundabout rules in Queensland.
Sources
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au): Special purpose lanes (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
- Queensland Government (qld.gov.au): Regulatory signs (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
- Brisbane City Council: Bus and transit lanes (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
- Brisbane City Council: Parking and traffic fines (consulté le 5 novembre 2026)
Rédigé par Équipe Rentzy (Rentzy Car Rentals). Les prix, frais et règles Rentzy de ce guide proviennent de nos conditions publiées et sont mis à jour avec elles ; les règles fixées par d'autres (routes, péages, permis, transports) proviennent des pages officielles ci-dessus, telles que consultées aux dates indiquées. Une information n'est plus à jour ? Signalez-le-nous.
