Bus bay and bus stop rules

Bus stops are areas where public transport stops to let passengers on and off. As a driver, you have important duties when you encounter a bus at the stop.

Types of Stops

Rules for Drivers

• You must not stop or park within the stop area, which normally extends 15 meters from the sign in both directions.
• When a bus leaves the stop and signals left to merge into traffic, you must ease its exit if the speed limit is 60 km/h or lower.
• You should slow down and stop if necessary to let the bus merge.

Right of Way at Bus Stops

In zones with a speed limit of 60 km/h or lower, you practically have to yield to a bus that signals it is leaving the stop. This is an important rule that often appears on the theory test.

• The bus must use blinkers to show that it is merging.
• You are obliged to adjust your speed so that the bus can merge safely.
• On roads with a speed limit over 60 km/h, this rule does not apply – the bus must find a gap itself.

Stopping and Parking at Bus Stops

• Stopping is prohibited in the stop area itself.
• You may not park closer than 15 meters from the bus stop sign.
• If the stop is marked with yellow road markings, the stopping prohibition applies to the entire marked area.

Typical Pitfalls

• Forgetting to ease the bus’s exit in zones with 60 km/h or lower.
• Parking too close to the stop and obstructing the bus.
• Thinking the rule about the bus’s exit applies in all speed zones.

Further Reading

• Read about speed zones and zone signs to understand speed zones.
• See driving in built-up areas for rules in city traffic.
• Understand prohibition signs for stop and parking bans.
• Read about road markings – types and rules for yellow markings at bus stops.