BTT Road Markings and Bus Lanes
Road markings tell you where to drive, where to stop and where you may park. White lines guide traffic and show where to stop; yellow lines at the kerb control parking and stopping, and the more lines, the stricter the rule; bus lane lines show when only buses may use the lane. Road markings are the largest single topic in our BTT question bank.
Lines along the road
Broken white centre line: keep left of it; cross only when the road ahead is clear and safe.
Continuous white: keep left; no parking on either side at any time. You may cross it only when clear and safe.
Double white: never cross; no right turn or U-turn; no parking on either side.
Lane arrows: go only the way they point. Merging arrows: the two lanes take turns. p.43
p.37-38
Boxes and areas
Yellow box junction: do not enter unless your exit is clear, even on green.
Chevrons: channel traffic. Do not drive or park on them.
Red chevrons at a bus-stop separator: no driving or parking.
You may wait in a yellow box to turn right against oncoming traffic, or when people crossing hold up your turn. Brick red road = school zone. Right-turn pocket: stay in it until it is clear to turn. p.39-42, 54-55
Yellow lines at the kerb
| Line | Park? | Stop to drop off / pick up? |
|---|
| Single yellow | not 7am-7pm (yes on Sun, PH) | yes |
|---|
| Double yellow | never | yes, immediately |
|---|
| Single yellow zig-zag | never | yes, immediately |
|---|
| Double yellow zig-zag | never | no stopping at all |
|---|
Zig-zag offences carry demerit points and a fine. p.38
Bus lanes
| Normal | yellow line: Mon-Fri 7.30-9.30am and 5-8pm |
|---|
| Full-day | red line too: Mon-Sat 7.30am-11pm |
|---|
| Open to all | outside those hours, Sundays and public holidays |
|---|
In bus lane hours only buses, bicycles, emergency and police vehicles. School and factory buses may use the lane but not stop in it. Where the line is broken, cross it to turn into or out of a side road. Bus priority box: give way to buses leaving the bay. p.40-41
Across the road and crossings
Parallel broken lines: give way to traffic on the major road.
Single white line: stop close to, and before, the line.
Zebra crossing: stop for anyone crossing or about to cross, on foot or on a bicycle.
White zig-zag by the kerb: a crossing ahead. No stopping, overtaking or waiting.
Turning at a junction while the Green Man is lit: give way to the people crossing. p.35-36, 42
Test traps
- Single vs double zig-zag: single, you may still stop to drop off; double, no stopping at all. p.38
- Single vs double white: a single line may be crossed when safe; double lines never. p.37
- Saturday: normal bus lanes are open to all; full-day bus lanes are not. p.40
- Green light does not let you into a yellow box when your exit is blocked. p.54
- Single yellow on a Sunday: you may park. p.38
Penalties (car)
| Stopping in a yellow box | $100, no points |
|---|
| Stopping in a zebra crossing area | 3 points, $150 |
|---|
| Crossing double white lines | 4 points, $150 |
|---|
| Offences at a pedestrian crossing | 6 points, $200 |
|---|
In school and silver zones and Friendly Streets, some offences add 2 points and $100. p.6-7