Is the driver of a car allowed to bypass a bus when a reversing traffic light is off?

Explanation

Prohibited; when the reversible-lane light is off, that lane may not be used to pass the bus.

A reversible-lane light changes the direction of a lane at different hours. The basic rule is: as long as this light has not given a permitting signal — that is, it is off or out of order — entry into the reversible lane is prohibited and the driver must stay in the right-hand lanes. So you cannot use that lane to go round a bus or any other slow or stationary vehicle. The technical reason is clear: with the light off, nobody knows which direction the lane is allocated to at that moment, and the oncoming flow may lawfully be travelling in that same lane; the result of entering is a head-on collision at a high relative speed, the most dangerous kind of crash. A reversible lane is separated from the other lanes by a special double marking, and that mark itself is a reminder to be careful.

The path ahead appearing clear changes nothing: permission to enter comes from the light, not from the driver's momentary judgement.

• "Permitted" ignores the fundamental condition; entry into a reversible lane is possible only on that light's permitting signal. • The bus's speed plays no part in whether the reversible lane is open or closed; what decides is the state of the light. • The absence of an oncoming car at that moment creates no permission; the lane is closed and the opposing traffic may lawfully enter it at any moment.

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