Is it allowed to stop to put off a passenger in this case?

Explanation

Allowed, provided it does not obstruct the movement of public-transport vehicles.

The sign on the right of the picture is "lane for public-service vehicles", and the letter "A" is also painted on the right-hand lane; that is, that lane is reserved for buses and route vehicles. But the line separating this dedicated lane from the rest of the carriageway is a broken line, not a solid one. That detail is decisive: with a broken marking you may enter the dedicated lane to pick up and set down passengers and stop by the right-hand edge, provided you do not obstruct the movement of public-transport vehicles.

The reason for this exception is practical: if entering the dedicated lane were prohibited in every case, no car could set its passenger down beside the pavement and would be forced to stop in the middle of the carriageway or in a traffic lane — which is far more dangerous. Instead, the condition of "not obstructing" ensures the dedicated lane's priority is not lost.

The exam trap is the type of separating marking. If that same line were solid, entering the dedicated lane would be prohibited in all circumstances and the answer would change. So before deciding, look at the marking first, then at the sign. And keep the stop short: this permission is for picking up and setting down, not for parking.

• "Prohibited" would be right if the separating line were solid; in this picture the marking is broken and makes entering the dedicated lane possible for picking up and setting down passengers.

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