Which of these marking lines is used to mark the boundaries of the lanes where reversing traffic occurs?

Explanation

Line 2, that is, two parallel broken lines.

Four examples are shown side by side in the picture: line 1 is two parallel solid lines, line 2 is two parallel broken lines, line 3 is a single broken line, and line 4 is a yellow broken line. The boundaries of lanes in which traffic is reversible are marked by two parallel broken lines — example number 2.

The choice of this shape is not arbitrary. Being doubled tells you that there may be an opposing flow on the other side of the boundary, and being broken means that this direction is not fixed and changes with the time of day. A double solid line conveys no such thing, because its meaning is a permanent, impassable boundary.

A practical point that recurs frequently in the exam: on a road with reversible lanes, the permitted direction is determined by the special overhead lights. When those lights are off, entering a lane bounded on both sides by this marking is not permitted; that is, a light being off is not a permission.

When comparing the options, examine the number of lines first and whether they are solid or broken second. The yellow colour in example 4 has nothing to do with lane boundaries at all and refers to stopping and parking restrictions beside the carriageway.

• Two parallel solid lines separate the opposing flows permanently on wide roads and may not be crossed; such a boundary cannot mark a lane whose direction changes. • A single broken line is an ordinary lane boundary and makes no reference to a change in the direction of traffic. • Adding line 3 to the answer spoils the decisive feature: line 3 is not doubled, so it cannot be the boundary of a reversible lane. • The yellow line in the picture relates to stopping and parking restrictions at the edge of the carriageway, not to lane boundaries; combining it with line 3 piles two errors on top of each other.

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