18.7. You have stopped to give way to pedestrians who are boarding or alighting from a tram. When are you allowed to continue driving?
UAВи зупинилися, щоб дати дорогу пішоходам, які виконують посадку в трамвай і висадку з нього. Коли вам дозволено продовжити рух?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns safety at tram stops, where passengers are forced to step onto the roadway or cross it to board. In such situations, the risk of a pedestrian suddenly appearing in front of a vehicle is especially high, so the traffic rules establish a clear obligation for the driver to stop and not resume movement prematurely. For the theoretical exam, it is important to understand: pedestrians have priority here, and the driver must "give way" without creating danger.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding movement across tram tracks and passing places where route vehicles stop, in particular the requirements of clause 18.8. The rule directly establishes two conditions that must be fulfilled simultaneously for the driver to safely continue driving: pedestrians must completely leave the roadway, and the tram doors must be closed. It is precisely the combination of these conditions that reduces the likelihood of someone running to the open doors at the last moment.
An analysis of the answer options shows a typical trap: if you focus only on the fact that pedestrians have already left the roadway, you might miss a situation where the tram doors are still open and someone tries to catch the tram. Conversely, the mere fact that the doors are closed without checking whether all people have left the roadway also does not guarantee safety. Therefore, the correct answer is the one that indicates both requirements are fulfilled simultaneously, as required by the traffic rules of Ukraine for successful completion of the theoretical exam and safe behavior on the road.
Clause 18.8
“The driver of a vehicle must stop to give way to pedestrians who are moving from the side of the open doors to the tram (or from the tram) that is standing at a stop, if boarding or alighting is carried out from the carriageway or a boarding platform located on it. Continuing to drive is allowed only when the pedestrians have left the carriageway and the tram doors are closed.”
This clause directly establishes two simultaneous conditions after which the driver is allowed to resume driving: (1) pedestrians have left the carriageway; (2) the tram doors are closed.
Clause 1.10 (term “Give way (not to create obstacles)”)
“Give way (not to create obstacles)” — a requirement for a road user not to start, resume, or continue driving, nor to perform any maneuvers, if this may force other road users who have priority to change their direction or speed.”
Application to the question: even if you have already stopped, you do not have the right to resume driving while the conditions of clause 18.8 are in effect and if this may create an obstacle/danger for pedestrians who have priority while boarding/alighting from the tram.
Clause 1.10 (term “Carriageway”)
“Carriageway — the part of the road intended for the movement of non-rail vehicles.”
Application to the question: in clause 18.8 it is directly stated that continuing to drive is allowed only after pedestrians have left the carriageway itself.
Clause 1.10 (term “Stop”)
“Stop — cessation of movement of a vehicle for up to 5 minutes or more, if necessary for boarding (alighting) passengers or loading (unloading) cargo, or fulfilling the requirements of these Rules.”
Application to the question: your action “stopped to give way to pedestrians” is a stop to fulfill the requirements of the Traffic Rules (in particular, clause 18.8).
That is, the correct answer is “When the pedestrians have left the carriageway and the tram doors are closed,” given that according to the definition of the Traffic Rules, continuing to drive past a tram from which/to which pedestrians are crossing the carriageway is allowed only after they have vacated the carriageway and the tram doors are closed (clause 18.8), and the driver does not have the right to resume driving if by doing so he/she does not “give way” to participants who have priority (term in clause 1.10).
When a tram stops at a stop in such a way that boarding or alighting takes place from the roadway, pedestrians appear on the road who are forced to walk to or from the open doors of the tram. In this situation, the Traffic Rules of Ukraine (paragraph 18.8) require the driver to stop and yield to these pedestrians.
It is important to understand that for safe resumption of movement, it is not enough that the pedestrians have almost crossed. As long as the tram doors are open, there is always a risk that someone is late and will try to quickly run onto the roadway to catch the tram. That is why the rules establish an additional condition that reduces the likelihood of a pedestrian suddenly appearing on the road.
Therefore, you have the right to continue driving only when both conditions are met simultaneously: all pedestrians have already left the roadway and the tram doors are closed. If there are no pedestrians on the roadway but the tram doors are still open, you must not start moving.
Thus, the correct answer is "When the pedestrians have left the roadway and the tram doors are closed," since paragraph 18.8 of the Traffic Rules allows resuming movement only after the roadway is completely cleared by pedestrians and the tram doors are closed.