54.7. Is a bus driver allowed to change the route and schedule of movement?
UAЧи дозволено водієві автобуса змінювати маршрут і графік руху?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerns the organization of passenger transportation and the predictability of route transport movement, which directly affects safety and quality of service. When a bus is operating on a route, passengers and other road users rely on stable stops, a defined path, and an agreed arrival time, so unauthorized deviations create risks and chaos in the transport system.
The question tests the section of the traffic rules regarding route vehicles and the basic duties of road users. According to the definition in paragraph 1.10 of the Traffic Rules, a route vehicle moves along an established route and has designated stopping points, so an "arbitrary" choice of another path contradicts the very essence of such transportation. Also, paragraph 1.3 of the Traffic Rules obliges the driver to strictly comply with the requirements of the rules and the established order, and the schedule and conditions of work on the route are additionally regulated by normative acts in the field of passenger transportation.
The analysis of answer options in the theoretical exam is logical: the statement about the possibility of changing the route or schedule "at the driver's decision" is incorrect, because the driver is not the organizer of transportation and cannot substitute the approved working conditions. The option about permission "in populated areas" is also incorrect: the location of movement does not cancel the requirements for route transport and the contract/schedule of transportation. The correct conclusion is also confirmed by special rules for the provision of passenger motor transport services (p. 149 (2)), which directly prohibit changing the route and schedule while working on the route.
Clause 1.10 (term “Route vehicle”)
Route vehicle — a public transport vehicle (bus, trolleybus, tram, route taxi) that operates along an established route, has designated stopping points on the road (stop points), and carries passengers.
Brief application: since a bus as a route vehicle, according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, “operates along an established route,” unauthorized changes to the route contradict the very status of a route vehicle under the Traffic Rules.
Clause 1.3
Road users are required to know and strictly comply with the requirements of these Rules.
Brief application: a bus driver, as a road user, does not have the right to act contrary to the established procedure for the movement of route vehicles; in particular, the timetable is determined not by the Traffic Rules, but by special regulatory acts in the field of passenger transportation, which the driver must also comply with during transportation.
Therefore, the correct answer is “Prohibited,” given that by definition in the Traffic Rules, a route vehicle operates along an established route, and the driver is required to strictly comply with the Rules and the established procedure for transportation (including the timetable).
While operating on a route, a bus driver carries passengers under specified conditions: along a specific route and according to an established schedule. These are not “recommendations” but mandatory rules for organizing transportation, which ensure predictability for passengers and traffic safety.
According to the Rules for Providing Passenger Automobile Transport Services (clause 149 (2)), a bus driver is not allowed to change either the route or the schedule at their own discretion. Such changes may only be made in the manner determined by the carrier and the organizer of transportation, not by the driver’s decision “according to the situation.”
Practical example: if a driver decides to “cut” the route and take other streets, passengers may miss their intended stops, and those waiting at stops along the route will not receive the service. Similarly, unauthorized deviation from the schedule (departing earlier or being significantly late without a valid reason and agreed actions) disrupts the timetable, causes failures in route operation, and may lead to dangerous situations due to rushing or attempts to “catch up” on time.
Therefore, the correct answer is “Prohibited,” since the bus driver is required to follow the approved route and schedule and does not have the right to change them independently.