With tens of thousands of people expected to flock to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Phillip Island this week, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) issued alerts and advice to motorists and riders.

Working with event organisers, the Victorian Motorcycle Council and Bass Coast Shire Council, DTP said it has measures in place to manage traffic flow and road safety during the event.

"Delays are likely heading to and from the island on roads including the Monash Freeway, South Gippsland Highway, Bass Highway and Phillip Island Road for the three-day event, running from Friday,  October 18 to Sunday, October 20," a DTP spokesperson said.

Anyone travelling to the island on Thursday is reminded the Homecoming Ride will start from San Remo at 11am, with 

In the lead up to the MotoGP, the ‘Homecoming Ride’ event will also be held on Thursday (October 17)  from 11am to 12.30pm owith participants riding from San Remo to the racetrack, accompanied by Victoria Police.

DTP said, with ongoing works impacting Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, and the exits to it from the Princes Freeway, racegoers are urged to avoid that route, and instead use the South Gippsland Highway through Cranbourne and Tooradin to reach Phillip Island.

Significant delays are expected on Phillip Island Road when departing on the Sunday following the MotoGP as well as on Monday, October 21 along Phillip Island Tourist Road between Cowes and Bass Highway.

To assist with traffic flow, traffic management will be in place on Phillip Island Road at the Back Beach Road and Woolamai Beach Road intersections.

The 'blue line' road marking system will be in place on the Melbourne-bound lanes of Phillip Island Road between Back Beach Road and the Bass Highway merge on Sunday, October 20 from approximately from 2pm to 7pm.

The blue line adds an additional lane of traffic for vehicles exiting Phillip Island by utilising the emergency lane, effectively doubling the capacity of the road.

Real-time traffic conditions are available at the VicTraffic website.

The latest public transport information and network status is available at the PTV website or in the PTV mobile app.

Travel options from Melbourne to Phillip Island include:

• Train services linking Southern Cross Station with Stony Point to catch the connecting ferry, and with Dandenong to catch a regional bus
• Coach services running from Southern Cross Coach Terminal, Thursday-Monday
• Ferry services between Stony Point and Cowes
• Regional bus services operating from Dandenong and Cape Paterson/Inverloch/Wonthaggi

Visitors can learn more and plan their journey on the MotoGP website.

Safety

Across the weekend, drivers and riders have a shared responsibility in ensuring each other’s safety.

"Motorcyclists may be more difficult to see on the road compared to other vehicles. Drivers need to remain vigilant at all times, using mirrors and doing a head-check when changing lanes to ensure blind-spots are clear," the spokesperson said.

"Motorcyclists can increase their safety by understanding all the road rules that apply to them, wearing good protective gear, and staying alert while on the road."

Motorcyclists are permitted to ride two-abreast, alongside one other rider, up to 1.5 metres apart.

"Lane-splitting, the practice of motorcycle riders travelling at high speed between moving traffic, is not legal in Victoria. Lane-filtering, travelling at up to 30km/h through stopped or slow-moving traffic, has been permitted since 2015," the DTP spokesperson said.

The MotoGP coincides with Motorcyclist Awareness Month.

"With motorcyclist usage growing and motorcyclists being more vulnerable to injury than other road users, saving riders’ lives and preventing injuries remain a critical road safety challenge. In the last five years, almost 200 motorcycle riders and pillion passengers have been killed on Victorian roads. 

"That’s why the Motorcycling Community Engagement Panel (MCEP), Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and Victoria Police are working together to create more awareness of motorcyclists to keep them safer on our roads."

Motorists and riders are reminded Phillip Island is home to a wide range of birds and animals that are particularly active at dusk and dawn. Injured wildlife can be reported to Wildlife Victoria on (03) 8400 7300.