18.19. Does the driver of the white vehicle have the right to drive around the pedestrians in this case?
UAЧи має право в даному випадку водій білого автомобіля об’їхати пішоходів?
This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine tests one of the most dangerous scenarios in the city: boarding and alighting of passengers from a tram, the stop of which is located on the roadway. In such conditions, pedestrians are forced to step directly onto the traffic lane, so the traffic rules establish a clear obligation for the driver to act as carefully and predictably as possible to avoid hitting anyone.
The question belongs to the section of the traffic rules about passing tram stops and yielding to pedestrians, specifically testing knowledge of point 18.8. According to this rule, the driver of a non-rail vehicle must stop and yield to pedestrians who are going to or from the tram from the side of the open doors, if boarding/alighting takes place from the roadway or a platform on it. Continuing to drive is allowed only after the pedestrians have cleared the roadway and the tram doors are closed.
That is why the answer "Yes" is incorrect: bypassing pedestrians in this situation contradicts the requirement to "stop to yield" and can create danger or force people to change their speed or direction. The answer "No" is correct and corresponds to the logic of the theoretical exam: the driver must wait for the boarding/alighting to be completed, let all pedestrians pass, and only then resume driving.
Clause 18.8
The driver of a non-rail vehicle must stop to give way to pedestrians who are approaching (or leaving) a tram that is standing at a stop, if boarding (alighting) of passengers is carried out from the carriageway or a boarding platform located on it. Movement is allowed only after the pedestrians have left the carriageway and the tram doors have closed.
Brief application: when a tram has stopped in the middle of the carriageway and passengers (pedestrians) are crossing the carriageway to/from the tram — the driver is obliged to stop and wait; bypassing the pedestrians at this moment contradicts the requirement to "stop to give way".
Clause 1.10 (term "Give way (do not create obstacles)")
Give way (do not create obstacles) — a requirement for a road user not to continue or resume movement or perform any maneuvers if this may force other road users who have the right of way to change their direction or speed.
Brief application: according to clause 18.8, pedestrians have the right of way when moving to/from the tram, so the driver cannot "bypass" them, but must stop and give way.
That is, the correct answer is "No.", given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, the driver is obliged to stop and give way to pedestrians who are going to/from the tram at the stop, and may continue driving only after the carriageway is cleared and the tram doors are closed.
In this situation, the tram has stopped at a stop located in the middle of the roadway, and passengers are boarding or alighting directly onto the roadway. This means that pedestrians are forced to cross the lane of moving vehicles, and the risk of not noticing them or misjudging their actions is increased.
Clause 18.8 of the Traffic Rules establishes a clear obligation for drivers: if pedestrians are walking from the open doors of the tram or towards them, the driver must stop and yield to them. The key word in this rule is stop, not "drive around" or "carefully pass by."
Even if it seems that the pedestrians are walking slowly or there are only a few of them, the driver does not have the right to maneuver between them or drive around them, because this would violate the requirement to yield. Continuing to drive is only allowed after the pedestrians have cleared the roadway and the tram has finished boarding/alighting, that is, when its doors are closed.
Therefore, the correct answer is "No," because according to clause 18.8, the driver is obliged to stop and yield to pedestrians near the tram, and may resume driving only after the roadway is clear and the tram doors are closed.