Is it allowed to stop in the passenger boarding lane marked with this sign?

Explanation

Allowed, provided that lane is at the right-hand edge of the carriageway and is not separated from the rest of the carriageway by a solid marking line.

The sign in the picture is a blue square with a white upward arrow and a bus symbol: a lane reserved for public service vehicles. The general rule is that other vehicles have no right to drive or stop in this lane, but the law has made a limited exception for picking up and setting down passengers. That exception has two conditions, both of which must hold at once: the reserved lane must be at the right-hand edge of the carriageway and must not be separated from the rest of the carriageway by a solid marking line. Beyond that, your stop must not obstruct the movement of public service vehicles.

The logic of both conditions is safety. A solid line means crossing it is prohibited; if you enter the reserved lane despite such a line, you must cut across it and pull in right in front of a bus coming at steady speed and expecting no obstruction. The "right-hand edge" condition exists so that the passenger steps straight onto the pavement rather than crossing traffic lanes.

The exam trap is that both absolute options — "prohibited" and "allowed" — look simple and decisive, whereas the correct answer is conditional. In questions about reserved lanes, always look for the option that states both conditions together: the right-hand edge and the absence of a solid line.

• An absolute prohibition ignores the law's express exception for picking up and setting down passengers; this option merely repeats the general rule about reserved lanes. • An absolute permission is more dangerous: if the reserved lane is separated by a solid line or is not at the right-hand edge, entering and stopping in it is an offence.

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