14.4 Stopping & Parking Restrictions
Key Takeaways
- You must not stop — not even to pick up or set down passengers or to load/unload goods — on expressways; in no-stopping zones during restriction times; on zebra or green man crossings; in zigzag zebra controlled areas (except giving precedence or waiting to turn); at bus stops/PLB stands/taxi stands (except permitted users); on bus lanes/hard shoulders/cycleways; in tunnel/control areas; or on yellow boxes / yellow-striped green man crossings.
- Exceptions: emergency, breakdown, traffic conditions, or when signalled by police/traffic warden/authorised tunnel staff/a traffic sign or light.
- Single solid yellow + signs = no stop during the period shown; double yellow and/or signs = no stop at any time; expressways need no yellow lines — no stop under normal conditions once you enter.
- Coloured sign posts are reference only (always read the sign): red 7am–midnight; yellow 7am–7pm; green 8am–10am and 5pm–7pm; grey other periods — TD sample: red post = 7 a.m.–midnight.
- Police may exercise discretion for pick-up/set-down of eligible passengers with disabilities in restricted zones (except expressways and 24-hour no-stop zones) with a completed Hong Kong Council of Social Service certificate, if no hazard or disruption is caused.
14.4 Stopping & Parking Restrictions
Quick Answer: You must not stop — not even to pick up or set down — on an expressway; in a no-stopping zone during restriction times; on a zebra or green man crossing; in a zigzag zebra controlled area (except giving precedence to pedestrians or waiting to turn left/right); at a bus stop / PLB stand / taxi stand (except permitted users); on bus lanes / hard shoulders / cycleways; in a tunnel or control area; or on a yellow box / yellow-striped green man crossing. Exceptions: emergency, breakdown, traffic conditions, or signalled by police/warden/authorised tunnel staff/sign/light. Single yellow + signs = period shown; double yellow and/or signs = no stop at any time. Coloured posts (reference only): red 7am–midnight, yellow 7am–7pm, green 8–10am & 5–7pm, grey other periods.
This section is the operational heart of taxi legality on the kerb. Part B tests the RUC list. Part A conduct (stands, obstruction, drive away after boarding/alighting) assumes you already know where stopping is banned.
Absolute Rule: “Not Even to Pick Up or Set Down”
The RUC is explicit. In the listed places you must not stop, not even:
- to pick up passengers
- to set down passengers
- to load or unload goods
“The passenger is elderly,” “it is raining,” and “it is only ten seconds” are not general legal exemptions. Compassion is shown by stopping at the nearest lawful safe point and helping with doors/luggage there — not by blocking a crossing or box.
Places You Must Not Stop
Memorise the official cluster:
| Place | Notes for taxis |
|---|---|
| Expressway | No stopping under normal conditions; no need for yellow lines to “remind” you |
| No-stopping zone during restriction time | Read signs + plates; coloured posts only support memory |
| Zebra or green man crossing | Never use as a set-down pad |
| Zigzag zebra controlled area | No stop unless giving precedence to pedestrians or waiting to make a left or right turn |
| Bus stop, public light bus stand, or taxi stand | Except permitted users (for example taxis at a taxi stand; not a random private stop in a bus cage) |
| Roadway you may not normally enter | Bus lanes, hard shoulders, cycleways, and similar |
| Tunnel area or control area | Special rules and staff signals apply |
| Yellow box marking | Keep clear; no pick-up/set-down |
| Yellow-striped green man crossing | Same idea — do not occupy |
Zigzag detail
Zigzag markings define a zebra controlled area. The default is no stopping. The Code’s exceptions are narrow: you may be there when giving precedence to pedestrians or when waiting to turn left or right. Using zigzags as a convenient taxi rank is wrong.
Stands and stops
- Taxi stand — for taxis in the stand system (Part A queue rules)
- Bus stop / PLB stand — not a taxi pick-up bay unless separately permitted
- Fleet taxi stopping places (Part A fleet rules) — general non-fleet taxis must not misuse them
If a passenger asks to alight “right at the bus stop flag” during a restriction, choose a lawful nearby place and explain briefly.
Exceptions to the Stopping Ban
The ban does not apply when:
- Emergency — for example to avoid an accident
- Breakdown — vehicle cannot proceed
- Traffic conditions — you are stopped as traffic requires (queueing lawfully)
- Signalled to stop by a police officer, traffic warden, authorised personnel in a tunnel/control area, a traffic sign, or a traffic light
These exceptions are for necessity and lawful direction, not for commercial convenience. “Traffic conditions” is not a free synonym for “double-park while the passenger finds keys.”
How ‘No Stopping’ Zones Are Signed and Marked
Begin and end
Traffic signs mark the beginning and end of no-stopping zones. Times appear on the signs. Repeaters and road markings may remind you inside the zone or show a change of hours.
Yellow lines
| Marking / signing | Rule |
|---|---|
| Single solid yellow line + no-stopping signs | Do not stop during the time period shown |
| Signs only (no yellow line) | Still a ban — common on some major roads |
| Double yellow lines and/or no-stopping signs | Do not stop at any time |
On trunk and major roads, start/end signs may use yellow backgrounds, with white-background repeaters along the route.
Expressways
On expressways, neither signs nor yellow lines are required to state the obvious Code rule: once you enter an expressway, you must not stop under normal traffic conditions. Hard shoulders are not taxi set-down points.
Class-specific bans
Some no-stopping signs apply only to certain classes (public light buses, goods vehicles, buses, etc.). Read the symbol and plate. A ban drawn only for PLBs is not automatically a full taxi ban — but many urban kerbs use all-vehicle no-stopping; do not guess.
Coloured Sign Posts (Reference Only)
Hong Kong uses coloured sign posts as a quick memory aid for the three most common all-vehicle no-stopping periods. Critical exam note:
The colour is for reference only. Always read the traffic sign for the actual restriction times.
| Post colour | Common standard period |
|---|---|
| Red | 7 a.m. – midnight |
| Yellow | 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. |
| Green | 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. |
| Grey | Other periods |
Sample TD question (Part B style)
Red sign post for no stopping restriction represents no stopping within ________.
Correct answer: 7 a.m. – midnight
Wrong options often mix yellow or peak-only windows. Drill the four colours until automatic — then still read the plate on the road.
Other Places You Should Not Stop (Advice Layer)
Besides hard bans, the Code advises against stopping where you create danger or obstruction, including near:
- Green man crossings and other pedestrian crossing places (islands)
- Traffic lights
- School crossing patrols
- Major dual carriageways
- Junctions and roundabouts
- Anywhere you may endanger yourself, passengers, or others
Exam stems that say “unsafe even if not specifically lined” still want the do not stop / move to a safer lawful place answer.
Certificate for Passengers with Disabilities (Taxi-Critical)
Police may exercise discretion to allow drivers of taxis, private cars, private light buses, and private buses to pick up or set down passengers with disabilities in restricted zones, provided:
- It is not an expressway
- It is not a 24-hour no-stopping restricted zone
- No hazard or disruption is caused to other road users
The passenger may present a completed “Certificate for Picking Up or Setting Down of Passengers with Disabilities in Restricted Zones” issued under arrangements coordinated with The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, with journey details recorded. Eligible groups taught in the Code include persons with mobility problems (for example wheelchair or walking-aid users) and visually impaired persons.
If questioned by police, the driver may present the certificate as evidence of the disability pick-up/set-down. This is discretion + conditions, not a blank cheque to stop on double yellows for any passenger or to stop on expressways.
Professional taxi conduct:
- Verify the certificate journey details as required
- Choose the least disruptive lawful position still workable for the passenger
- Assist safely; do not block crossings or create a second collision risk
- Move off promptly when boarding/alighting is complete
Parking vs Stopping (Exam Clarity)
- Stopping bans are broader and often time-based; they hit pick-up/set-down
- No parking signs/markings target waiting/parking more than the pure “momentary stop” concept, but many kerbs combine controls — read what is signed
- On the Written Test, if the stem says no stopping, do not answer as if parking rules were looser for taxis
When leaving a vehicle (parking chapter themes): secure the vehicle so it cannot move — related fitness/security items may appear separately, but the kerb position must already be lawful.
Professional Set-Down Script
When a passenger points at a banned kerb:
- Do not stop in the banned place
- Continue a short distance to the first lawful, safe point
- Explain briefly: “No stopping here — I’ll set you down safely just ahead.”
- Alight passengers kerbside away from moving traffic when possible; do not double-park them into a live lane
- Drive away promptly with minimum obstruction after boarding/alighting (Part A conduct link)
Common Exam Traps
| Trap | Correct view |
|---|---|
| Taxis may stop anywhere to set down because they are PSVs | Public service role does not cancel no-stopping lists |
| Red post = 7 a.m.–7 p.m. | Red = 7 a.m.–midnight; yellow is 7–7 |
| Double yellow allows quick pick-up | No stop at any time |
| Expressway hard shoulder is fine for alighting | No stop under normal conditions |
| Zigzag area is free waiting zone | Only narrow exceptions (precedence / waiting to turn) |
| Disability certificate works on expressways and 24h zones | Excepted — those zones still out |
| Post colour overrides the plate | Colour is reference only — read the sign |
Closing Checklist for Section 14.4
- Memorise the full must not stop even to pick up/set down list.
- Know the four exceptions (emergency, breakdown, traffic conditions, lawful signal to stop).
- Single yellow + signs = times shown; double yellow and/or signs = any time; signs-only zones still count.
- Expressways — no stop under normal conditions without needing yellow paint.
- Drill coloured posts: red / yellow / green / grey periods; still read the sign.
- Zigzags, crossings, boxes, stands, bus lanes, tunnels/control areas — high-yield no-stop geography.
- Disability certificate — discretion for eligible passengers in restricted zones except expressways and 24h no-stop, no hazard/disruption, HK Council of Social Service certificate process.
- Professional default: nearest lawful safe kerb, prompt departure, no passenger-pressure offences.
This closes Chapter 14’s language-of-the-road package. Chapter 15 continues with weather, emergencies, professional-driver duties, and tunnel/expressway behaviour in depth.
According to the Road Users' Code, a red sign post used as a reference for no-stopping restriction commonly represents which period?
Where double yellow lines and/or ‘No stopping’ signs apply, when may you stop to set down a passenger?
A passenger asks to be set down immediately before a bus stop where stopping is restricted. What should the taxi driver do?
Which statement about the Certificate for picking up or setting down passengers with disabilities is correct?