Is it allowed to overtake the truck?

Explanation

No; in this situation overtaking the lorry is not permitted.

Look at the lights above the lanes: the special reversible-lane lights are on and show a red cross over the adjacent lane; the blue sign on the right, with up and down arrows, also announces that reversible traffic operates on this route. A red cross means that lane is closed and entry into it is prohibited.

Overtaking the lorry here is possible only by going into that same closed lane; so overtaking is ruled out automatically. The double broken line that separates the reversible lanes can also be crossed only when the reversible light above that lane permits it.

The safety reason for this strictness is clearer here than anywhere else: the reversible lane may at that very moment be allocated to traffic in the opposite direction. Entering it means driving straight towards cars coming head-on; the relative speed in a head-on collision is doubled, and few crashes are as lethal.

Worth memorising: on roads with reversible traffic, before any lane change or overtaking, read the light above the lane first. A red cross means "this lane does not exist at all", and if the light is off you must also stay to the right of the double broken line.

• The adjacent lane appearing empty changes nothing; the red cross of the reversible light has prohibited entry into that lane, and without that lane overtaking is impossible.

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