High occupancy vehicle lane enforcement: a successful trial in Brisbane by adding a splash of magenta

High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes (such as bus lanes and transit lanes) are designed to encourage more efficient use of road space. HOV lanes have the potential to move more people with fewer vehicles, encourage modal shift from single occupant vehicles to high occupancy vehicles and provide travel time savings and reliability to users. The unlawful use of HOV lanes prevents these outcomes being achieved and reduces the benefits to those people making a sustainable travel choice. Work undertaken for the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads showed rates of violation were as high as 89% of vehicles travelling in some HOV lanes. One of the challenges in any enforcement regime is finding the optimal level of enforcement for a desired outcome.