3.2 Prohibitory, Parking and Restrictive Signs
Key Takeaways
Sri Lanka's No Entry sign (PHS-01) is a white circle with a red border, a black upward arrow and a red diagonal bar, not a red disc with a white bar.
A plain white circle with a red border (PHS-10) closes the road to all vehicles; single-class closures show the class (for example, three-wheelers on PHS-17).
On blue parking signs, one red bar means No Parking (PHS-23), a red X means No Parking and Standing (PHS-24), one white bar means no parking on odd days (PHS-25), and two white bars mean even days (PHS-26).
PHS-05 No Overtaking does not prohibit overtaking two-wheeled mopeds or motorcycles without a sidecar; PHS-07 bars goods vehicles over 3.5 tons from overtaking.
PHS-09 No Horning is placed near hospitals, schools and court houses; section 155(2) allows the horn only to avoid an accident or to signal an intention to overtake.
3.2 Prohibitory, Parking and Restrictive Signs
Warning signs advise. Regulatory signs give orders. Section 164(3) of the Motor Traffic Act requires every driver to obey all traffic signs that are erected or exhibited and apply to their class of vehicle. Section 164(4) presumes, unless the contrary is proved, that any sign visible from the road was lawfully put up. Regulation 49 of the Motor Traffic (Signs, Signals, Symbols and Road Markings) Regulations No. 02 of 2015 makes any contravention an offence under the Act. Minor offences are usually dealt with by spot fine under section 215A.
Schedule II of the regulations splits regulatory signs into four groups. This section covers the first two:
- Prohibitory signs (PHS-01 to PHS-26): something is forbidden.
- Restrictive signs (RSS-01 to RSS-10): a numerical limit applies (width, height, weight or speed).
Mandatory and priority signs follow in section 3.3.
1. Design Rules You Can Use to Decode Any Prohibitory Sign
From the colour table at the end of Schedule II:
| Sign group | Shape | Background | Border | Symbol / bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most prohibitory signs (PHS-01 to PHS-22) | Circle | White | Red | Black symbol, usually crossed by a red diagonal bar |
| End of a prohibition (PHS-06, PHS-08) | Circle | White | Black | Symbol greyed out and crossed by thin grey lines |
| No Parking / No Parking and Standing (PHS-23, PHS-24) | Circle | Blue | Red | Red bar(s) across the blue field |
| Alternate-day parking (PHS-25, PHS-26) | Circle | Blue | Red | White vertical bar(s) and a red diagonal |
| Restrictive signs (RSS-01 to RSS-09) | Circle | White | Red | Black numbers or symbols |
The sizes are 400 mm, 600 mm and 900 mm for narrow and low-speed built-up streets, other roads, and expressways respectively.
Warning
Sri Lanka's No Entry sign (PHS-01) is not the red disc with a white horizontal bar used in Europe. Schedule II shows a white circle with a red border, a black upward arrow and a red diagonal bar across it: "no entry for vehicular traffic to enter a particular road."
2. Entry and Movement Prohibitions
| Code | Name in the schedule | What it forbids |
|---|---|---|
| PHS-01 | No Entry | Vehicular traffic entering that road |
| PHS-02 / PHS-03 | No Left Turn / No Right Turn | That turn at the intersection |
| PHS-04 | No U-turn | U-turns for vehicular traffic |
| PHS-05 | No Overtaking | Overtaking of power-driven vehicles; overtaking two-wheeled mopeds and motorcycles without a sidecar is not covered |
| PHS-06 | End of No Overtaking | Cancels PHS-05 |
| PHS-07 | Overtaking by Goods Vehicles Prohibited | Goods vehicles over 3.5 tons may not overtake power-driven vehicles (other than two-wheelers) |
| PHS-08 | End of Overtaking by Goods Vehicles | Cancels PHS-07 |
| PHS-09 | No Horning | Sound signals at that location or section |
Regulation 10(2) says PHS-9 is placed near a hospital, school, court house or any other place where the authority decides horns must not be used. That is the legal source of the "silent zone" idea. Even elsewhere, section 155(2) of the Act allows the horn only as a traffic warning to avoid an accident or to signal an intention to overtake. Multi-tone and harsh horns are banned for ordinary vehicles (s.155(3)).
3. "Road Closed" Signs (PHS-10 to PHS-22)
- PHS-10 Road Closed for all vehicles: a plain white circle with a red border and no symbol. All vehicles are prohibited from entering.
- PHS-11 Road closed for motor vehicles: shows a car and a motorcycle. Motor vehicles may not enter.
- PHS-12 to PHS-22 close the road to one class only: buses, lorries, articulated vehicles, power-driven agricultural vehicles, hand tractors, three-wheelers (PHS-17), motorcycles, cycles, animal-drawn vehicles, hand carts or pedestrians.
Exam trap: the DMT sample paper shows the plain red-ringed circle with answer choices such as "no entry", "road closed for buses and lorries" and "road closed". The plain circle means the road is closed to all vehicles. The No Entry sign always carries the crossed-out arrow, and single-class closures always show the class (a bus, a lorry, a three-wheeler).
4. Parking Prohibitions on Blue Signs (PHS-23 to PHS-26)
These four blue signs are heavily tested because they look alike.
| Code | Appearance | Meaning (regulation 13) |
|---|---|---|
| PHS-23 No Parking | Blue circle, red border, one red diagonal bar | Parking is prohibited on the side of the road where the sign stands. It may be backed by a single yellow edge line (road marking RM-16). |
| PHS-24 No Parking and Standing | Blue circle, red border, red cross (X) | Parking and standing are prohibited on that side. It may be backed by a double yellow line (RM-17 / RM-18). |
| PHS-25 No Parking on Odd days | Blue circle, red border, one white vertical bar ("I") | No parking on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and other odd dates on that side |
| PHS-26 No Parking on Even days | Blue circle, red border, two white vertical bars ("II") | No parking on the 2nd, 4th, 6th and other even dates on that side |
Further rules from regulation 13:
- A prohibition applies from the sign to the next intersection unless a panel shows a different length (regulation 13(7)).
- A white additional panel (APR-06) may set the times when the prohibition applies, or exempt classes of vehicle.
- Even where parking is prohibited, section 166(3) of the Act lets a driver stand only as long as needed to obey a sign or officer, follow traffic, let a person get in or out, or load and unload subject to any time limits.
Tip
Count the bars. One white bar = odd days. Two white bars = even days. One red bar = no parking. A red X = no parking and no standing.
5. Restrictive Signs: Width, Height, Weight and Speed
Restrictive signs are white circles with a red border carrying a number:
| Code | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| RSS-01 | Width Limit | Vehicles (with load) wider than the figure are prohibited |
| RSS-02 | Height Limit | Vehicles (with load) taller than the figure are prohibited |
| RSS-03 | Weight Limit | Vehicles (with load) heavier than the figure are prohibited |
| RSS-04 | Weight Limit on One Axle | Vehicles exceeding the axle weight shown are prohibited |
| RSS-05 | Speed limit for vehicles within built-up areas (except three-wheelers and land vehicles) | The figure applies to cars, dual-purpose vehicles, motorcycles, motor coaches and lorries in built-up areas or hilly terrain |
| RSS-06 | Speed limit for light vehicles outside built-up areas | Cars, dual-purpose vehicles and motorcycles outside built-up areas |
| RSS-07 | Speed limit for heavy vehicles in non-built-up areas | Motor coaches and lorries |
| RSS-08 | Speed limit for three-wheelers and land vehicles | Motor tricycles, tricycle vans and land vehicles, in all areas |
| RSS-09 | Speed limit for all vehicles within school areas, hospitals or other specified locations | Every vehicle must obey the figure shown |
| RSS-10 | End of Speed Limit | The restriction ends |
Panels APR-09 to APR-12 under the speed signs show which vehicle categories the figure applies to, so read the panel as well as the number. Section 2.1 explains the national default limits (50 km/h in built-up areas and 70 km/h outside them for cars) that these signs display.
6. Applying the Rules in Exam Questions
- Shape and colour: a white circle with a red ring is an order, whatever the symbol.
- Look for the bar or cross: a red diagonal across a symbol forbids that thing; a plain ring forbids all vehicles.
- Blue field: parking control. Count the bars, or look for the X.
- Number in the ring: a limit you must not exceed. Check the panel for the vehicle class.
- End signs (grey or black diagonal lines) cancel the earlier restriction.
Which description matches Sri Lanka's No Entry sign (PHS-01) in Schedule II of the 2015 signs regulations?
A solid red disc with a white horizontal bar across the middle
A red-ringed white circle, black up arrow, red diagonal bar
A plain white circle with a red border and no symbol inside it
A blue circle with a white upward arrow and a white border
A blue circular sign with a red border shows two white vertical bars. What does it mean?
No parking on even dates of the month on that side
No parking on odd dates of the month on that side
Parking and standing prohibited on that side at all times
Two-way traffic ahead on a narrow section of road
Where is the PHS-09 No Horning sign typically placed, according to regulation 10(2)?
At every expressway entrance, to keep the toll plazas quiet
Only at railway level crossings without gates or barriers
Near hospitals, schools, court houses and similar places
Before every roundabout and every signal-controlled junction
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.