Exclusive bus lane on the San Diego-Bandera de Santiago axis

The Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Transport and Telecommunications of the Metropolitan Region established a permanent priority exclusive lane for urban public transport provided by buses on the San Diego-Bandera axis, in the section between Padre Alonso de Ovalle and Compañía street, in the south-north direction of travel. The measure, adopted through Exempt Resolution No. 5,093, dated August 20, 2026, was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile (No. 44,538) on Monday, August 31, 2026, with the official reference CVE 2862346.

The resolution modifies Exempt Resolution No. 462 of 2007, from the same Regional Secretariat, which regulates exclusive-use lanes in the city of Santiago, and comes into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette. The administrative act was signed by the Regional Ministerial Secretary, Gonzalo Rodrigo Cuevas Bown.

A public transport prioritization measure

The decision is part of the public transport prioritization plan promoted by the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, which has already materialized a total of 100 additional kilometers of new Bus-Only Lanes (PSB) in coordination with the municipalities. According to official letter No. 13,116, dated April 29, 2026, from the Director of Metropolitan Public Transport (DTPM), the opening of the San Diego-Bandera axis was prioritized as a Bus-Only Lane and Exclusive Lane with Public Transport Priority (VEXTP).

The measure is based on technical memos from the DTPM that detail the selection criteria for the route, the characterization of its vehicle flows, and the benefits of its implementation. The authority estimates that restricting the traffic of other vehicles will prevent their stops from obstructing the circulation of buses and will reinforce road safety, considering the existence of pedestrian promenade areas in sectors of the roadway.

Which vehicles may circulate

The priority exclusive lane restricts the traffic of private vehicles, but authorizes the circulation of certain vehicles:

• Emergency vehicles.
• Vehicles from the Transport Inspection and Automated Traffic Infraction Processing Division of the Undersecretariat of Transport.
• Municipal vehicles destined for citizen security functions.
• Vehicles destined for road maintenance tasks, duly identified.
• Vehicles that must access or exit parking lots, entering and leaving via the crossing closest to the parking location.

Background and validity

The new route is enabled following the full repeal, via Exempt Resolution No. 4,721, of August 11, 2026, of Exempt Resolution No. 7,397, of 2017, which had established a pedestrian promenade on the San Diego-Bandera axis between Padre Alonso de Ovalle and San Pablo street. Consequently, a large part of the axis’s roadway is designated for motorized vehicle traffic, without prejudice to the areas that remain as a pedestrian promenade.

The priority exclusive lane will be duly marked with demarcation and vertical signs in accordance with the Traffic Signaling Manual. The resolution also modifies the table of Resolution No. 462 of 2007, incorporating the San Diego (Tarapacá–Padre Alonso de Ovalle) and Bandera (Compañía–General Mackenna) sections, both in the south-north direction.

The measure directly affects thousands of bus users and drivers in the Metropolitan Region, by prioritizing the speed and regularity of public transport on one of the busiest axes in downtown Santiago, in line with the objectives of reducing travel times and mitigating traffic congestion.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,538, August 31, 2026, General Norms, p. 1 (official reference: CVE 2862346).