A bus driver jailed for seriously injuring six passengers when he crashed into South Melbourne's Montague Street Bridge in 2016 has been released after an appeal.

Key points: Jack Aston's five-year jail term was downgraded to a two-year community corrections order

Jack Aston's five-year jail term was downgraded to a two-year community corrections order The decision meant he was immediately freed from custody, having served 10 months of his original sentence

The decision meant he was immediately freed from custody, having served 10 months of his original sentence He held hands with his family as he left court and apologised to his passengers

Jack Aston had been convicted of six counts of negligently causing serious injury, but last week that was reduced to the lesser offences of dangerous driving causing serious injury.

He was kept in prison before today's hearing while he was assessed for a two-year community corrections order.

Aston walked free today after serving 10 months of his original five-year sentence.

Aston's wife sobbed as his new sentence was read out in Victoria's Court of Appeal.

"You can come out of the dock now," Justice Phillip Priest said. Aston then walked the few steps to his family, who were hugging and crying.

Passengers were injured when the 3.8-metre-high bus crashed into the 3-metre bridge. ( ABC News: Simon Winter )

Justice Priest said a combination of the unusual circumstances of the offending and Aston's personal situation led the court to conclude the community corrections order was an appropriate sentence, along with the time already served.

Aston's licence was originally cancelled for three years but that was reduced to 18 months.

'Freedom is a good thing'

Flanked by his family as he spoke to journalists outside court, Aston said he felt "really good".

"I'd like to say sorry to all my passengers," he said before thanking the courts and his legal team.

Jack Aston said he hoped the bridge would be modified to make it safer in the wake of his crash. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

"Love and support from both our families and all of our friends and all the people of Victoria has gotten us four through the last 306 days of all of this," he said.

When asked how he felt when he was told he could walk from the dock, Aston replied: "Freedom is a good thing."

He then addressed Premier Daniel Andrews, urging him to "fix" the notorious low-clearance Montague Street Bridge before somebody lost their life.

Appeal won after community outcry

Aston had dropped passengers off at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and was taking 14 others to a hotel on St Kilda Road when the crash happened in February 2016.

There was a sticker on the driver's instrument panel indicating the height of the bus was 3.8 metres, Aston's County Court trial had heard.

The Montague Street Bridge is 3 metres high.

VicRoads installed rubber flaps on an overhead gantry in the wake of the crash to help alert drivers to the bridge's height. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica )

When Aston was originally sentenced, County Court Judge Bill Stuart had said that he was "astonished" the driver did not notice the bridge.

Gold Bus founder Donald McKenzie told last year's plea hearing that Aston had been "let down by the company" as it did not warn him of the driving conditions in the area.

A few months after the accident, VicRoads installed rubber flaps on an overhead gantry to warn drivers of the bridge's low clearance.

Last year, Aston's family, friends and supporters from Ballarat accused the courts of "victimising" him and rallied at the Montague Street Bridge to call for his sentence to be reduced.

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