How much do you really remember of Singapore’s bus lane operations? Here’s a quick reminder!

Ever been stuck in traffic and been tempted to zoom up that empty bus lane on your left, but just weren’t quite sure if you were allowed to do so?

We certainly have! Many times. But despite being a fairly major component of Singapore’s road driving theory, the specific details of bus lanes sometimes eludes us, and judging by what we see on the roads, some of you too.

Better safe than sorry?

For the most part, motorists tend to err on the side of caution and simply keep out of bus lanes – and for good reason. If an LTA enforcement officer or a bus’s onboard camera catches you infringing on bus lane rules, you’ll be slapped with a fine of S$130. Refusal to pay that might result in imprisonment of up to three months, or a maximum fine of S$1,000.

Two kinds of bus lanes

That does not mean bus lanes are entirely off-limits to cars, however. There are two types of bus lanes in Singapore.

1) Normal (solid yellow line)
2) Full-day (solid yellow and red lines)

Both have different timings and the full-day lanes apply to Saturdays as well. Familiarise yourselves with our refresher table below and use it to your advantage to skip ahead of traffic!

Dot and cross

Additionally, the bus lane lines will sometimes be dotted. This is the only other time you are allowed to enter the bus lane, usually if you are about to make a turn into or out of a side road.

Lastly, remember that the bus lanes are free to be used on Sundays and public holidays!