Parking signs: what they mean
What do «No stopping», «No parking» and «Parking zone» mean? The signs' area of effect and the most important supplementary signs, under the Sign Regulations.
Parking-regulating signs follow the Sign Regulations. The five most important:
Sign 370 «No stopping»
A total ban on all stopping on the side of the road where the sign stands — including loading/unloading and boarding/alighting. The only exception is a separate loading-bay regulation shown on a supplementary sign. Applies until the nearest junction or until a new sign 370, 372, 376, 378 or 552.
Sign 372 «No parking»
Parking is forbidden, but the shortest possible stop for boarding/alighting or loading/unloading is allowed. A round sign with a white background and a red border. The same area of effect as 370 (until a junction or a new sign). The sign is used where parking is not to be allowed on any terms.
Sign 376 «Parking zone»
A zone regulation that applies to the whole zone, not just one side of the road. It indicates either that parking is allowed (often with a charge or time limit) or that it is a no-parking zone. Important: a zone is not lifted by a junction or by other parking signs — only by sign 378 «End of parking zone». Within the zone, certain stretches may have different, signed regulation.
Sign 552 «Parking»
Indicates that parking is allowed, provided it does not conflict with the traffic rules' stopping/parking provisions. If the sign stands within a defined area (e.g. a car park), it applies to the whole area; otherwise only to the side of the road it stands on, until a junction or a new sign. With supplementary sign 828, parking may still be allowed in a stated direction even if it would otherwise conflict with the traffic rules.
The most common supplementary signs
- Time indication: which hours the main sign applies. Black numbers = weekdays except Saturday, black numbers in brackets = Saturday, red numbers = Sunday, public holiday and official holiday.
- Parking disc (clock symbol): parking only allowed when a parking disc/clock showing the arrival time is placed clearly visible behind the windscreen. The driver is responsible for having a disc; a clear handwritten note with the arrival time is also enough.
- Extent (828): 828.1 applies in both directions, 828.2 against the direction of travel, 828.3 in the direction of travel.
- People with reduced mobility: the space is reserved for people with reduced mobility holding a public parking permit. The space may be used for boarding/alighting without a permit, but not for loading/unloading.
Exemptions
The Sign Regulations do not allow general exemptions from parking bans. An exemption is only granted to people with reduced mobility from a ban under sign 372, 552 or 376 (Sign Regulations § 28).
What it costs to break the signs is shown in the rates on the rules overview.