Cyclists caught riding while using their mobile phone will be hit with $476 on-the-spot fines across Victoria from this weekend.

Even those on a stationary bike will be forced to fork out the new fine, as the law requires cyclists to park their bikes to use their phones legally.

Riding while texting was already illegal, but required cyclists to be taken to court in a time-consuming and expensive ordeal.

Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Luke Donnellan, said riding while using a mobile phone could be deadly.

“Whether you’re driving a car or riding a bike – you shouldn’t be on your phone – so we’re giving police the power to issue an on-the-spot fine when they catch riders doing the wrong thing,” Mr Donnellan said.

“We hope that by bringing this fine into line with the penalty for car drivers, we’ll stop the dangerous and potentially deadly practice of cyclists using their phones while riding.”

VicRoads said the change would “encourage riders to cease this very distracting and potentially deadly behaviour”.

Robyn Seymour of VicRoads said using a mobile phone was “just as distracting for a cyclist as it was for a motorist”.

“Not paying attention, even for a split-second, while riding or driving can result in tragedy, and it is imperative that cyclists and drivers concentrate and focus when on our roads,” Ms Seymour said.

From Saturday, Victorian cyclists will be able to use bus lanes where a dedicated bike lane does not exist.

Drivers must also give way to bikes in a similar way to pedestrians at bike lantern traffic lights from Saturday.

The changes were developed following an independent review of Victoria’s cycling road rules.

One cyclist said the new law would make it difficult for him to hold dangerous drivers to account.

“What this will do for me is make it illegal to photograph vehicles that have threatened my life,” the cyclist wrote on Twitter.

The rule is understood to exempt those with a phone mounted to the bike, if the phone is not being held by the rider, or is used for navigation purposes.

A spokesperson from the Amy Gillett Foundation, which advocates for bike safety, told The New Daily the Victorian change in rules was “consistent with promoting a safer road environment”.

“However, the Amy Gillett Foundation is concerned to ensure that, first and foremost, enforcement efforts are focused on those with the greatest capacity for harm from distraction, namely motorists in cars,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Amy Gillett Foundation remains committed to pursuing the introduction of cycling safety measures and other laws that will have a real impact on the safety of cyclists on Victorian roads, such as a metre matters laws and proper enforcement of existing laws that protect cyclists as the most vulnerable road users.”

The rule change brings Victoria up to speed with Queensland and NSW, where cyclists must follow the same rules as motorists.

A Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson confirmed to The New Daily that cyclists are not permitted to use a mobile phone in their hand, including when stopped at traffic.

“This means they can not: hold the phone next to or near their ear; write, send or read a text message; turn their phone on or off, and; operate any function of the phone,” the spokesperson said.

In Queensland, cyclists can be hit with a $365 on-the-spot fine for using their phone.

Bernard Carlon, executive director of NSW Centre for Road Safety, said bicycles were considered vehicles under NSW Road Rules, and cyclists must obey the same laws.

A $325 on-the-spot fine applies to cyclists caught using a mobile phone while riding.

A fine of $433 applies if the offence is committed in a school zone.

In March last year, NSW introduced heavy penalties to cyclists which included a $319 bill for riding without a helmet.