The model
Stopping ban (Book p.161-162): no interruption of the driving movement at all, not even for a few seconds. That applies at an intersection/level crossing, a cycle lane, a crossing (plus 5 metres), a tunnel, a bus stop, a bus lane, a solid yellow line, and on the pavement/cycle path. Parking ban (Book p.163) is weaker: no parking, but briefly stopping to drop off/pick up or load/unload is allowed.
Read this section on its own page: The model: Stopping and parking bans without a sign: where they always apply
Core
The book gives two separate lists (Book p.161-163), and the difference between them lies in what is still allowed. Under a stopping ban you may not interrupt the driving movement at any moment — not even to quickly let someone get out. That applies at an intersection or level crossing, a cycle lane, a crossing (plus 5 metres before and after), a tunnel, a bus lane, a solid yellow line, and on the pavement or cycle path. The bus stop also belongs to this list, with a nuance: the ban runs along the block marking where one is present; if there is no marking, a fixed distance of 12 metres from the sign applies. The marking — not the number 12 — is the first source when both are present. Under a parking ban you may briefly stop to drop off/pick up or load/unload — you simply may not park. That applies less than 5 metres from an intersection, in front of a driveway, outside the built-up area on the carriageway of a priority road, at a dashed yellow line, and across parking spaces. One exception applies to both lists: parking bays and parking spaces are exempt from prohibition signs — a sign on the carriageway does not automatically govern the marked bay next to it.
Read this section on its own page: Core: Stopping and parking bans without a sign: where they always apply
Why it matters
The stopping-ban list consists of places where even a second of standing still directly blocks flow or sightlines: on a cycle lane or bus lane you are literally in the way of vulnerable or dependent traffic, and at an intersection or crossing you block the sightlines other road users need. The parking ban mainly affects flow over a longer stretch of time, not acute sightlines or space — which is why briefly stopping there is still possible.
Read this section on its own page: Why it matters: Stopping and parking bans without a sign: where they always apply
Source: RVV 1990 art. 23 · RVV 1990 art. 24 · checked 2026-10-22
Test yourself
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon in Zaandam you stop the car briefly at the bus stop to let your daughter get in without getting wet. There is no sign, only a block marking on the road. Is that allowed?
Show the answer
Stopping ban (Book p.161-162): no interruption of the driving movement at all, not even for a few seconds. That applies at an intersection/level crossing, a cycle lane, a crossing (plus 5 metres), a tunnel, a bus stop, a bus lane, a solid yellow line, and on the pavement/cycle path. Parking ban (Book p.163) is weaker: no parking, but briefly stopping to drop off/pick up or load/unload is allowed.
Frequently asked questions
‘At every bus stop you may never stop within 12 metres of the sign’ – is that true?
No. The stopping ban at a bus stop applies along the block marking, or within 12 metres of the sign if that marking is absent. Where a marking is present, the marking itself is the boundary
‘At a crossing you may briefly stop to quickly let someone get out’ – is that true?
No. A stopping ban forbids any interruption of the driving movement, even a few seconds. At a crossing (plus 5 metres) you may never stop, not even to let someone get out
‘Within 5 metres of an intersection you may not even stop very briefly’ – is that true?
No. Vs p.163 - the intersection itself is a stopping ban (never stop). Less than 5 metres BEFORE it is a parking ban: briefly stopping to load/unload or drop off/pick up is allowed there
‘A parking-ban sign on the road also applies inside the parking bay next to it’ – is that true?
No. Arking bays and parking spaces are exempt from prohibition signs. The sign on the road governs the carriageway, not the marked bay next to it
‘The no-stopping rule at a bus stop is stricter in rush hour and then extends further than the block marking’ – is that true?
No. At a bus stop the ban applies along the block marking, or within 12 metres of the sign if there is none; no time window applies