55.19. Is it permitted for drivers of route vehicles to transport passengers and cargo in the cab separated from the passenger compartment?
UAЧи дозволено водіям маршрутних транспортних засобів перевозити пасажирів і вантажі в кабіні, відокремленій від салону?
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This is an exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine concerning the safety of passenger transportation and the driver's discipline while operating on a route. In route vehicles, any actions that distract the driver or create additional risks in the event of sudden braking or an accident are considered factors of increased danger. That is why the traffic rules establish specific restrictions for drivers transporting passengers on a designated route.
The question tests knowledge of the section of the Traffic Rules regarding passenger transportation and the requirements for the behavior of a route vehicle driver, specifically clause 21.2. The regulation is directly aimed at ensuring that the driver's cab, if it is structurally separated from the passenger compartment, remains the driver's workspace: it is not intended for transporting either people or items. It is also important to understand whom the Traffic Rules classify as route vehicles (definition from clause 1.10), as this special prohibition applies specifically to this category.
The analysis of the answer options comes down to the fact that "always allowed" contradicts the direct requirement of clause 21.2, and the condition "if the cargo is well secured" does not change the essence of the prohibition, because the rule forbids the very act of transporting passengers and cargo in a separated cab while carrying passengers. For the theoretical exam, it is important to remember the practical meaning: you cannot seat a passenger next to the driver behind the partition, and you cannot place bags, boxes, or other cargo there, even if it seems "convenient" or "does not interfere in the passenger compartment."
Clause 21.2
Drivers of route vehicles are prohibited, while transporting passengers, from talking to them, eating, drinking, smoking, as well as transporting passengers and cargo in the cab if it is separated from the passenger compartment.
Brief explanation of application: this clause directly establishes a prohibition for the driver of a route vehicle to transport passengers and cargo in the cab if the cab is structurally separated from the passenger compartment.
Clause 1.10 (term “Route vehicles (public transport vehicles)”)
Route vehicles (public transport vehicles) are buses, minibuses, trolleybuses, trams, and taxis that operate on established routes and have designated places on the road for boarding (alighting) passengers.
Brief explanation of application: the question concerns specifically drivers of route vehicles, that is, vehicles that fall under the definition provided in the Traffic Rules.
Thus, the correct answer is "Prohibited.", given that the Traffic Rules directly prohibit drivers of route vehicles from transporting passengers and cargo in the cab if it is separated from the passenger compartment (clause 21.2).
Route vehicles (buses, minibuses, trolleybuses, trams, taxis on route) transport passengers according to established rules, and the driver in such transportations must focus primarily on traffic safety and the safety of people in the passenger compartment.
The Traffic Rules separately restrict the driver's actions when transporting passengers. In particular, clause 21.2 directly establishes a prohibition on transporting passengers and cargo in the cab if the cab is structurally separated from the passenger compartment. That is, when a bus or minibus has a separate driver's cab with a partition, it is intended for the driver to work in, not for placing passengers or items.
In practice, this means that you cannot seat a passenger next to the driver in a separated cab “for convenience,” and you cannot put bags, boxes, or other cargo there “so it doesn't get in the way in the passenger compartment.” Such actions violate the requirements of the Traffic Rules and create additional risks: distracting the driver, limiting visibility or movement, and also endangering people in the event of sudden braking or an accident.
Therefore, the correct answer is "Prohibited," since clause 21.2 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine directly prohibits drivers of route vehicles from transporting passengers and cargo in the cab if it is separated from the passenger compartment.