Is it allowed to turn into the yard at this point?

Explanation

Yes, turning into the courtyard at this point is permitted.

The blue sign on the right indicates a "road with a lane for public transport vehicles running against the flow": two white arrows pointing up for the general flow, and a bus symbol with a downward arrow for the lane running in the opposite direction. This means the road is one-way for you, but its leftmost lane is a counter-flow lane for public transport, and a bus comes towards you along it.

What is prohibited is travelling along that lane and stopping in it — not crossing it transversally. In the picture, the blue car merely passes over this lane to reach the courtyard entrance on the left and immediately leaves the carriageway; such a turn is not prohibited where the marking is broken. But it comes with a serious condition: you must give way to public transport vehicles travelling in that lane.

The safety reason for this emphasis is exactly what crash statistics show. On a one-way street the driver's mind has already decided that "nobody comes from the left", so when turning left they give only a cursory glance. A counter-flow reserved lane breaks that expectation, and the classic crash is a collision with a bus coming head-on. So before turning, turn your head fully to the left and do not move until you are sure the lane is clear. Exam point: the road being one-way does not by itself prohibit anything; what settles the matter is the type of marking and the priority of the public transport vehicle.

• "It is prohibited" rests on the assumption that the presence of a counter-flow reserved lane closes off every left turn; whereas the prohibition concerns movement and stopping along that lane, and crossing it transversally to enter a courtyard is permitted, subject to giving way.

Road Traffic Regulations of the Republic of Armenia

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