What does this marking mean?

Explanation

The boundaries of traffic lanes in which reversible regulation is carried out.

The picture shows two parallel broken lines. That very combination — being doubled plus being broken — has a definite meaning: the boundary of a lane whose direction of travel is not fixed and changes under reversible regulation.

A reversible lane is used on roads where the traffic load runs in opposite directions morning and evening; instead of widening the road, one middle lane is allocated in each period to the busier direction. The permitted direction is announced by special lights fitted above that lane.

Two practical points for the exam: first, when the reversible lights are off, entering a lane bounded on both sides by this marking is not permitted — a light being off does not mean the lane is free. Second, before entering or leaving such a lane you must be sure the overhead light confirms your movement.

The reason for the strictness is clear: an error in judging the direction on such a lane leads in the worst case to a head-on collision. That is why the form of this marking has been deliberately designed to differ from every other ordinary boundary, so that it can be told apart at a glance.

• A dedicated public-transport lane is marked with the letter "A" on the carriageway and a single longitudinal line, not with two parallel broken lines. • This option exists only to resemble the correct answer; a double broken marking refers to a change in the direction of traffic, not to a particular class of vehicle.

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