Is it allowed to enter the area marked with this sign when making a right turn?

Explanation

Allowed, provided that lane is not separated from the rest of the carriageway by a solid marking line.

The rectangular blue sign with a white upward arrow and the image of a bus indicates a lane reserved for route vehicles, running in the same direction as the general traffic flow. The general principle is that other vehicles have no right to drive or stop in this lane, but that prohibition has one important exception: turning right.

If the reserved lane is separated from the rest of the carriageway by a broken line, you must move into it before the junction and make the right turn from that lane; picking up and setting down passengers at the kerb is permitted in the same way. But if the separating line is solid, entry is prohibited and you must turn from the adjacent lane without crossing the solid line.

The safety reason is clear: if drivers stay outside the reserved lane and cut across the bus's path at the last moment, the bus is forced to brake hard and passengers boarding are put at risk. The requirement to move in early eliminates this sudden crossing of paths.

The exam trap is the two absolute options. The correct answer is always conditional on the type of marking; so look first at whether the line is solid or broken, then decide.

• "Allowed" without qualification ignores the case of a solid marking line; in that case entering the reserved lane is an offence, even to turn right. • An absolute "prohibited" is wrong too: if the marking is broken, entry is not merely permitted but required in order to turn right.

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