Government responds to calls to remove Victoria Rd bus lane due after inquiry into congestion

A new bus lane on one of Sydney’s busiest roads is sparking backlash from motorists – however a government department says the lane is needed to ‘rebalance the road space’ for public transport.

A new bus lane on one of Sydney’s busiest roads is set to remain in place despite a parliamentary inquiry finding the installation has made driving on the congested thoroughfare even more of a nightmare for city motorists.

The NSW Government has rejected calls to carry out an immediate review into the need for a dedicated bus lane and left turn only lane on Victoria Rd that residents say has exacerbated vehicle congestion and caused confusion for motorists travelling in and out of the CBD.

The dedicated lane was put in place by Transport for NSW during the opening of the Rozelle Interchange as a means to improve public transport on the arterial roadway.

However, critics say the dedicated lane has removed the ability for other cars to use an entire inbound lane of the roadway – causing travel times to increase.

A parliamentary inquiry called for the NSW Government to immediately evaluate the Victoria Rd bus lane and left turn only lane.

The bus lane was installed by Transport for NSW.

The NSW Government – in its official response to the recommendation – has rejected calls to remove the lane which it says is helping to encourage the uptake of public transport in and out of the CBD.

The government said the bus lane was also part of its long-term vision to revitalise Victoria Rd by “rebalancing the road space to encourage people to change the way they travel”.

“This includes encouraging uptake of bikes, walking and public transport and providing better access to one of Sydney’s most important transport corridors,” the government stated in its response.

A photo of traffic congestion on Victoria Rd following the opening of the Rozelle Interchange.

“(The bus lane) helps make bus services more reliable and efficient, and supports the frequent bus services that run along Victoria Rd.

“Prioritising public transport within the existing road space is critical and is consistent with the future vision for Victoria Rd”

The parliamentary inquiry into the Rozelle interchange has been launched to investigate heavy congestion that resulted from the opening of the project last year.

An inquiry has called for a review into the bus lane.

Along with the installation of the bus lane, Transport for NSW had made various changes to Victoria Rd including rephrasing traffic lights in a move to ease the flow of traffic through Balmain and Rozelle.

Claudia Campbell, co-chair of Drummoyne Resident’s Traffic Committee, said the dedicated bus lane had caused confusion for some motorists and impacted travel times for residents.

“People are trying to get kids to sport, do groceries, get to other inner west suburbs, and otherwise go about their business and are heavily impacted by this and hampered in their efforts to simply move around their suburbs.” she said.

The bus lane has generated concerns over traffic impacts.

The Rozelle Interchange opened last year.

Hunters Hill mayor Zac Miles has also been critical of the bus lane due to impacts on travel times for residents in northern Sydney.

The parliamentary inquiry found changes to Victoria Rd had impacted businesses with some owners reporting difficulty attracting and retaining staff due to traffic conditions.

Figures by Transport for NSW of bus performance between June 2023 and 2024 found average hourly bus travel times through Rozelle have improved by up to 1.5 minutes following the installation of the bus lane.