# Traffic Signs Manual/Chapter 5/2009/20

GENERAL
20.1 Markings indicate where waiting is prohibited (paras 20.3 to 20.6) or permitted (paras 20.11 to 20.27), and where loading is prohibited (paras 20.7 to 20.10). They are also used in conjunction with zonal signing (paras 20.29 to 20.33).
20.2 These markings must be used only to indicate the effect of a statutory provision (see direction 7) and (except for double yellow lines) must be used in conjunction with appropriate vertical signs (see direction 25). Further guidance will be found in Chapter 3. Adequate vertical signing is essential, so that drivers can readily establish the precise restrictions in force. Inadequately signed restrictions are likely to be legally unenforceable.
20.3 The markings consist of either a single or a double continuous yellow line laid at approximately 250 mm from the edge of the carriageway. The double line (diagram 1018.1) indicates that waiting of vehicles on that side of the road is prohibited at any time during a period of at least four consecutive months. The sign to diagram 637.3 is used only if the time period is at least four but less than twelve months. The single line (diagram 1017) indicates that the prohibition applies for some lesser time (of day, week or year). A transverse mark must be placed at each end of a line, where one type of line changes to another (see figure 20-1), where it abuts a bay marking or a zig-zag line and at a point where a vertical sign indicates the time period changes, but the road marking remains the same. The restriction imposed by these markings applies from the centre of the road to the highway boundary on the side of the road that the marking is laid (including any lay-bys).
20.4 Three widths are prescribed for yellow lines. The 75 mm size should be used on roads with a speed limit of 40 mph or less, and 100 mm on roads with a higher limit. In areas regarded as environmentally sensitive, the 50 mm wide line may be used. Alternative shades of yellow may be used (see para 23.18). The gap between double lines must in all cases be the same as the width of each line.
20.5 If restrictions are imposed in a lay-by, the lines to diagram 1017 or 1018.1 should be laid at the back of the lay-by and not along the continuation of the main carriageway edge. This should leave no room for doubt that restrictions apply in the lay-by.
20.6 Yellow waiting restriction lines must not be laid through a pedestrian crossing or its controlled area (the Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations and General Directions 1997, regulation 9), nor at Toucan and equestrian crossings. See para 5.1 for guidance on the use of waiting restrictions with double white lines.
PROHIBITION OF LOADING MARKINGS
20.7 The markings consist of either a single or a double transverse mark on the kerb. The double mark (diagram 1020.1) indicates that loading or unloading of vehicles on that side of a length of ​road is prohibited at any time during a period of at least four consecutive months. The single mark (diagram 1019) indicates that the prohibition applies for some lesser time (of day, week or year) than this. The restriction imposed by these markings applies from the centre of the road to the highway boundary on the side the marking is laid.
20.8 The kerb mark is 100 mm wide, with a gap of 100 mm between the lines of the double mark. The mark should be 250 mm long and may be extended down the kerb face. Where there is no raised kerb, the 300 mm mark should be used, positioned so that its nearer end is approximately 250 mm from the prohibition of waiting line.
20.9 The marks should be laid so that the first and last in the series correspond with the limits of the prohibition. Where two types of prohibition meet, the more restrictive marking should be placed at the point of change (see figure 20-1). The marks should be repeated at approximately 3 m intervals, but may be varied to between 2 m and 4 m to avoid a short length at the end. This spacing ensures that there will always be a mark alongside a stationary vehicle. A larger spacing would allow a vehicle to stop between the marks and a driver might claim that it was not clear that the prohibition extended between them.
20.10 The marks must not be laid at a pedestrian crossing, or within its controlled area.
Table 20-1 Bay marking details :
| Diagram No. | Alternative legends | Width of bay (mm) | Width of bay (mm) | Colour of marking |
| Diagram No. | Alternative legends | At kerbside | In centre of road. | Colour of marking |
| 1028.2 | TAXIS AMBULANCES POLICE | 1800 min 2700 max | 1800 min 2700 max | Yellow See Note |
| 1028.3 | DISABLED BUSES LARGE OR SLOW VEHICLES ONLY LOADING ONLY No legend | 2700 min (1800 min ) 3600 max See para 20.13 | 3000 min 4200 max | White |
| 1028.4 | DOCTOR SOLO MOTORCYCLES ONLY SOLO M / CYCLES ONLY SOLO M / CS ONLY PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY No legend | 1800 min 2700 max | 1800 min 2700 max | White |
| 1032 | DOCTOR DISABLED LOADING ONLY No legend | 1800 min 2700 max | Not prescribed | White |
| 1033 | DOCTOR No legend | 2000 min 2500 max | Not prescribed | White |
| 1033 | DISABLED | 3600 | Not prescribed | White |
NOTE: In Northern Ireland the colour of diagram 1028.2 may be varied to white.
​PARKING BAYS
20.11 Parking bays may be marked parallel to the kerb, at an angle to it, wholly or partially on the footway, or in the centre of the road. They are prescribed as diagrams 1028.2, 1028.3, 1028.4, 1032 and 1033. Details are shown in table 20-1. Where the bay to diagram 1028.2 is allocated to different users at different times, a special direction should be sought from the Department to use no legend (see para 2.1).
20.12 The marking to diagram 1028.2 (figure 20-2) forms a single continuous bay with the legend TAXIS, AMBULANCES or POLICE as appropriate, marked outside the bay. The marking is coloured yellow (in Northern Ireland this may be varied to white). It is laid either at the road edge or in the centre of the road and may be extended to any length to accord with the traffic order. The legend should be repeated at intervals of about 12 m and marked on both sides when used in the centre of the road. Where stopping by other vehicles is prohibited, the sign to diagram 650.1 is used together with the yellow prohibitory line from diagram 1025.1 (see para 17.20). Otherwise the prohibition of waiting sign to diagram 650.2 is used. In both cases a traffic regulation order is required.
20.13 The marking to diagram 1028.3 (see figure 20-3) forms a wide bay, designed for use by vehicles displaying a disabled person's badge, by buses or by large vehicles. It is accompanied by the upright sign to diagram 639.1B, 660 (varied to ​"Large or slow vehicles only"), 660.4 ("Loading only"), 661A ("Disabled badge holders only"), 661.1, 786 ("PARK HERE AND USE PHONE AT CROSSING"), 801 (when used with 804.1), or 969. The bay is white in colour and may be accompanied by the legend BUSES, DISABLED, LARGE OR SLOW VEHICLES ONLY or LOADING ONLY, marked outside the bay. It may be placed at the road edge or in the centre of the road. When marking a space for disabled users, the word DISABLED may be omitted, e.g. in streets with block paving, although use of the legend will help badge holders identify parking places more easily. It is recommended that all disabled bays in a locality are treated in the same way to avoid confusion. The bay may be extended to any length to accord with the traffic order. The legend should be repeated at intervals of about 12 m and marked on both sides when used in the centre of the road. If the road is too narrow to permit traffic (especially fire engines) to pass a 2700 mm wide DISABLED bay, the bay width may be reduced, subject to an absolute minimum of 1800 mm. When the width is 2700 mm or less, the transverse marking will be as in diagram 1028.4.
20.14 The LARGE OR SLOW VEHICLES ONLY variant of diagram 1028.3 may be used with the sign to diagram 660, similarly varied, at level crossings where drivers are required to stop and telephone before crossing. It may also be used to designate places for large vehicles awaiting police escort.
​20.15 The marking to diagram 1028.4 (figure 20-4) indicates a designated parking place used for limited waiting, for permit holders, for a particular class of vehicle, or for payment parking. It forms a single bay coloured white and may be placed at the edge or in the centre of the road. Where provided for in the order, it may be laid partly or wholly on the footway (see para 20.23) and extended to any length. The legend DOCTOR may be omitted or varied to SOLO MOTORCYCLES ONLY, SOLO M / CYCLES ONLY, SOLO M / CS ONLY or PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY, and should be repeated at intervals of about 12 m.
20.16 The marking to diagram 1032 (figure 20-5) is used to divide a length of road into individual parking places, each end of a series of parking places being marked as a double line. The dividing marks between two adjacent spaces may be omitted to form a single long bay with a maximum length of 13.2 m. The words DOCTOR, DISABLED or LOADING ONLY may be added in the manner shown in diagram 1028.4 (figure 20-4). The marking was originally for use only when charges were made for parking. However, it may now also be used to mark individual bays for free limited waiting. Where charges are discontinued, it will therefore no longer be necessary to change the bay markings.
20.17 The angled bays indicated in diagram 1033 (figure 20-6) may be used both where charges are made (i.e. pay and display, meter, permit, voucher or disc parking) and where parking is free. The angle between the markings and the carriageway edge may be varied to suit the available road width. When not at right angles, the bays should be angled so that drivers are required to reverse into them. This is safer than reversing out, when visibility might be restricted by adjacent parked vehicles.
​20.18 One or more of the angled parking places may be reserved for the use of disabled badge holders. Each such bay is then widened to 3.6 m; the legend DISABLED may be added to each bay to help identify it. Standard width bays may indicate DOCTOR. The limit of the row of parking bays must be marked with the double terminal mark shown in diagram 1033; this is omitted where the limit is delineated by a raised kerb. The extended marks shown alongside the DISABLED legend are used to mark the limits of the DISABLED bay (or DOCTOR when so marked).
MARKING OF BAYS
20.19 The normal width of the lines outlining parking bays is 50 mm. This may be varied to 75 mm for greater emphasis or to reduce maintenance, or to 100 mm to accommodate the use of paving blocks in block-paved areas. Any legend should be marked outside the bay and with the correct orientation to be read by a passing driver (see figure 20-7). The transverse line may be omitted where the marking is placed in a layby or where the end of the bay is delineated by a raised kerb (see figure 20-7).
​20.20 A bay laid adjacent to the road edge should be designed so that neither it nor the associated legend overlaps the centre line road marking. A centre line should not be interrupted alongside bay markings. If conditions allow, it may be moved away from the geometric centre of the carriageway to permit traffic to pass a row of parked vehicles without crossing the centre line. Lane lines should not be interrupted but may also be realigned if practicable.
20.21 If adjacent bays for different uses would be of different widths, the greatest width should be adopted for all (where permitted by the Regulations) to avoid a potentially confusing stepped edge.
20.22 Where a taxi bay (diagram 1028.2) is sited next to a bay coloured white, it will be necessary to use the single yellow terminal line and the white terminal line (double white if the white bay is diagram 1032). There should be a gap of 100 mm between the two markings. However, when changing between 1028.3, 1028.4 and 1032, the transverse white line (or one such line of diagram 1032) should be treated as common to both markings if they are identical in size and colour (see figure 20-7 for examples)
20.23 Where a bay is laid partly on the footway and partly on the carriageway, it should be to the pattern shown in the right hand diagram in figure 20-4. Where a bay is marked wholly on the footway, it should be the reverse of the pattern shown in the left hand diagram in figure 20-4 and adjacent to the kerb. Any legend should be laid only on the carriageway side of the marking (see figure 20-7).
SHARED AND PART TIME BAYS
20.24 It is sometimes necessary for bays to be available for two or more different uses at different times of the day, or for bays to be used for parts of the day only. Guidance on this is given below.
20.25 If waiting (or loading) restrictions apply at times when the marking to diagram 1028.2 is not operating, the normal yellow lines or kerb marks should be used in addition to the bay marking. When the "no stopping" variant is used (see para 20.12 and direction 22(3)(a)) the yellow line to diagram 1017 is omitted. Kerb marks are still required if loading is prohibited outside these times.
20.26 Where waiting is prohibited at certain times (e.g. peak hours) and limited waiting, or waiting by specified classes of user, permitted at other times, a white bay marking (diagram 1028.3, 1028.4, 1032 or 1033 as appropriate) should be used with a single yellow line to diagram 1017 continued through the bay. Where loading is prohibited, the kerb markings to diagram 1019 or 1020.1 must also be used. An upright sign to diagram 639.1B should be provided. The bottom parts of the sign may be varied to diagrams 660, 660.3, 660.4, 660.5, 661A, 661.2A, 661.3A or 662 if appropriate.
20.27 If the upper part of diagram 639.1B is varied to diagram 650.2 (no waiting except taxis or other designated vehicles), the white bay marking appropriate to the lower panel is used. The yellow bay marking to diagram 1028.2 normally associated with diagram 650.2 cannot be used in these circumstances, so the presence of the waiting restrictions shown in the upper part of the sign is indicated with a single yellow line to diagram 1017.
20.28 Yellow waiting or loading restriction markings are discontinued through markings to diagrams 1025.1, 1025.3, 1025.4 and 1028.2 (when used with diagram 650.1), as they already incorporate a continuous yellow edge line, (see direction 22(3)(a)).
CONTROLLED PARKING ZONE
20.29 This category includes meter, disc, ticket, pay and display and voucher parking, and any combination of these. Yellow lines (diagram 1017 or 1018.1) and, if appropriate, kerb marks (diagram 1019 or 1020.1) must be laid throughout the zone, other than at parking places (or bus stop clearways or mandatory school entrance markings which apply throughout the zone hours). Parking places must be marked with white bay road markings (diagrams 1028.3, 1028.4, 1032 or 1033). Vertical signs in the zone are required only if restrictions differ from the terminal sign.
​PEDESTRIAN ZONE
20.30 Yellow lines (and kerb marks) must be used unless the conditions in direction 24(4) are met (see para 20.31) or a special direction has been issued to omit them (see para 20.32). Parking or loading bays are not normally provided, but see para 20.32(iii).
20.31 The conditions under which direction 24(4) permits the omission of yellow lines and kerb markings are where:
(i) the entry of vehicles is restricted at the same time as the waiting restrictions apply,
(ii) the footway and carriageway are not separately defined (i.e. the whole road width is paved over without change of level or material), and
(iii) the waiting restrictions apply uniformly throughout the zone.
20.32 It may be possible to issue a special direction (see para 2.1) to allow yellow lines and kerb marks to be omitted in other circumstances, for example:
(i) where the road surface is not paved but vehicles are not likely to be parked outside the times at which vehicle entry is restricted,
(ii) where the road surface is at one level, but different colours or textures of surfacing are used to distinguish the carriageway from the footway, and the other requirements of direction 24(4) are met, or
(iii) where parking and loading bays, bus stops or taxi ranks are provided within the zone, but waiting restrictions are otherwise uniform. The bays will need standard markings, or to be delineated by bollards, planters or other street furniture.
RESTRICTED ZONE
20.33 Restricted zones generally use vertical signs to restrict parking, with no yellow line markings. They are signed using a specially authorised variant of diagram 663 with the legend "Restricted ZONE" and the words "Except in signed bays" added where appropriate. White bay markings (diagrams 1028.3 or 1028.4) or yellow bus stop or taxi markings (diagrams 1025.1, 1025.3, 1025.4 or 1028.2) will be used if required. They need not be used if the bays are physically delineated by kerbs, bollards, planters or other street furniture.
LORRY AND BUS PARKING BAN ZONE
20.34 Where it is desired to ban parking by large vehicles for part of the day in residential areas, lorry or bus parking ban zones may be introduced. Such zones are effected using upright signs to diagrams 640.2A and 665, without the use of road markings.
CYCLE AND BUS LANES
20.35 The use of yellow lines in cycle lanes is dealt with in para 16.7, and in bus lanes in para 17.11.
This work has been mirrored or sourced from material provided on the UK Government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual, which states material is available under the terms of the Open Government License unless indicated otherwise. (Crown copyright acknowledged.)
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This version was transcribed in May 2015, from a 2009 impression.
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