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MOTORCYCLE LANE FILTERING REGULATION March 29

MRA has been the driving force in lobbying for legal ‘lane filtering’ here in WA since 2011.

After many years of sometimes frustrating lobbying, going back to our initial meeting on this issue in 2011 when Troy Buswell was the Minister for Transport, we have finally received news on this issue.

Lane filtering was discussed at the meeting we had with the Road Safety Commission in January 2021, in regards to an education campaign leading up the official launch of lane filtering in WA on 29th March 2021. We have also received a letter from the Minister for Police and Road Safety informing us that the legislation has been drafted.

We have carried out research into the wording of the legislation and this is what the legislation states –

The maximum speed a motorcycle is allowed to travel at when lane filtering is 30 km/hr.
The penalty for noncompliance is $100.00 fine and the 2 demerit points.
Learner riders cannot lane filter.
Only two wheel motorcycle can lane filter not sidecars or trikes (pretty obvious)
Not allowed at school or pedestrian crossings, or in a school zone.
Not allowed between a heavy vehicle.
If it is not safe to do so safely.
The surprise is it is not allowed on our freeways.

We have contacted the Road Safety Commission asking to the reasons behind this and have received a reply that it is not seen as safe. We will continue to argue this point and hope that we can get this section altered in the future, I for one don’t want to be forced to sit on a stationary motorbike on the freeway when it is 40 degrees Celsius and I am wearing all my safety gear. I believe this would be far more dangerous than lane filtering at 30km/hr.

These changes have been published in the Government Gazette(regulation 130A and 130B) and will become law on 29th March 2021

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LANE FILTERING REGULATION UPDATE:

The President Jeff Thomas and Safety Officer Dave Wright from the Motorcycle Riders Association of WA held a productive meeting on Monday 8th January 2021 with the Road Safety Commissioner, Adrian Warner and Assistant Commissioner Paul Zanetti from the WA Police Force who has responsibility for the State Traffic Branch of Police, this followed a request for the meeting from the MRAWA and emails from many concerned motorcycle riders, regarding the proposed legislation changes to lane filtering in WA freeways.

The Minister for Road Safety is sympathetic to the concerns we have raised on behalf of motorcycle riders regarding the restriction on lane filtering on freeways but given the upcoming general election, the Government is required to assume a ‘caretaker’ role, which limits the actions and decisions a government can take in this period. The Minister has asked the Road Safety Commission to prepare further options for consideration after the election result is clear and a new government has been formed.

As a next step we are meeting with representatives from the Road Safety Commission and WA Police to discuss the new regulations in more detail, with a view to identifying the specific changes that we want presented to the Minister for Road Safety for consideration as soon as possible after the election.”

Motorcycle Riders Association of WA Inc.

Jeff Thomas President

Dave Wright Safety Officer

jono wrote:MOTORCYCLE LANE FILTERING REGULATION March 29

We have carried out research into the wording of the legislation and this is what the legislation states –

Not allowed between a heavy vehicle.

Maybe this clause deserves clarification!


Something that has puzzled me, but perhaps shouldn't where politicians and QUANGO's are involved, is the Bus Lane anomaly.

In September 2016 Perth Transport Authority recommended that, based on the analysis and discussions presented within their report https://www.rsc.wa.gov.au/RSC/media/Doc ... pt2016.pdf
on Bus Lane Trials, the following conclusions were made:

* Motorcyclists should be signed to allow use of all bus lanes within Perth where appropriate;

* An assessment for each bus lane should be undertaken, where buses travel into/out of bus only areas (such as bus stations, layover areas etc) motorcyclists shouldn’t be allowed (as with Taxis);

* All signage (including Variable Message Signage where used) should clearly show motorcyclists being allowed to use the bus lanes;

* The Police should be notified of the locations where motorcycles are legally allowed to use the lanes; and

* Greater enforcement of the bus lanes should be advocated for by state government, perhaps giving enforcement powers to PTA or local councils enforcement officers (God help us and save us from these two!).

SO, all good? NO, in June 2020 the Road Safety Commission (a portfolio within WA Police) recommended that the trial was not to continue or, be expanded
https://www.rsc.wa.gov.au/News-Media/La ... ty%20risk..

Still, on the plus side, look at the number of people employed by the RSC who aren't on Welfare (32 in 2018 - currently 92). FWIW - The Road Safety Commissioner was on AUD$173,438 p.a. in December 2018

This RSC website https://www.rsc.wa.gov.au/Rules-Penalti ... orcyclists is more specific on the rules

In Queensland the rules are much the same except you are allowed to filter on freeways where the usual speed limit is 90 kph or above. In this instance you are allowed to use the emergency lane, but still limited to below 30 kph. The emergency lane rule was recently relaxed to included if there is roadworks. You also can't do it on an offramp [speed limit typically reduces to 60kph] and not allowed to filter between a vehicle and a kerb.

I travel from the Sunshine Coast to South of Brisbane twice a week. Returning on Thursday afternoons around 5 PM I spend quite a bit of time in the emergency lanes. Tuesday mornings I do the 160km's run in 1.75 hrs. On Thursday evenings it take me 2 hrs 10-20 mins!

Stay safe.