Beside a bus and cycle lane painted along the nearside of a busy road, you see a rectangular sign with a blue background showing a white cycle symbol and the operating hours '7am-7pm Mon-Fri'. Further along the same road, a completely separate stretch of segregated cycle track is marked by a plain blue circular sign showing only a white cycle symbol, with no plate of hours. How do the legal effects of these two signs differ for the driver of a car?
- Both signs have identical legal effect: cars may never enter either lane, at any time
- Neither sign has any legal effect on a car; both are purely informational for cyclists
- The rectangular sign marks a lane cars must not use only during the stated hours, while the plain blue circle marks a route reserved for pedal cycles at all times, with no time restriction and no exception for a car
- The rectangular sign bans cars permanently, while the plain blue circle only bans cars during rush hour
Why C? And why not the others?
Correct answer: C. The rectangular sign marks a lane cars must not use only during the stated hours, while the plain blue circle marks a route reserved for pedal cycles at all times, with no time restriction and no exception for a car
A rectangular sign with a blue background is used for on-carriageway lane signs, and when it shows a cycle symbol together with times of operation it marks a with-flow pedal cycle lane that a car must not be driven or parked in only during the hours actually displayed on the sign, meaning a car may lawfully use that same lane outside those hours. A plain blue circular sign showing only a cycle symbol, with no hours plate, instead marks a route reserved for pedal cycles only, a full-time mandatory restriction with no built-in time exception, since circular signs without a qualifying plate apply at all times. Saying both signs carry an identical permanent ban is wrong because it ignores the express hours plate on the rectangular sign, which narrows its restriction to specific times. Saying neither sign has legal effect on a car badly misreads both: mandatory blue signs, whether circular or rectangular, are enforceable orders, not mere information aimed at cyclists. Reversing which sign carries the rush-hour timing is also wrong, since it is the rectangular lane sign, not the circular route sign, that displays stated operating hours.
Source: The Highway Code: Traffic signs — signs giving orders (GOV.UK), with-flow pedal cycle lane and route for pedal cycles only signs