Double yellow lines for taxi pick-up

Much and all as I despise the lack of regard for legislation and other road users exhibited by many taxi drivers, it's worth noting that

• RRM 008 (double yellow lines) marking is stated as indicating "that parking of vehicles is prohibited at any time on that side of the roadway", whereas
• the similarly intended RRM 010 indicates "a school entrance at which part of the roadway, the stopping or parking of a vehicle is prohibited".

Given that the latter expressly prohibits both parking and stopping, while the former only refers to parking, it's not unreasonable to conclude that stopping a vehicle on double yellows briefly is distinct from parking on them, and not necessarily prohibited, provided it was safe to do so and not causing an obstruction or hazard.

Did you load and drop off whilst moving? If not, it’s parking and illegal.

It depends on why the double yellow line was there.

There's a whole list of places where you cannot stop or park — adjacent to junctions and pedestrian crossings, in a bus lane, at a vehicle entrance, at a place where the footpath kerb as been lowered, etc — and many of these are often marked with double yellow lines.

(For the nitpickers — you can stop at these places if you are unable to proceed because of an obstruction or because the way is not clear or because a traffic signal requires it (e.g. in a traffic jam, or at a red light). But you can't stop by choice.)

"I came down, showed the garda of my warning light" are you referring to hazard lights here?

I think the argument here is whether stopping to allow a passenger to alight counts as parking.

If you dont agree with the Garda's interruptation of it then appeal the notice when it arrives and take it to court, do let us know how you get on!

30 minutes: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1997/si/182/made/en/print

36(2)(a) is the article prohibiting parking on double yellow lines. Doesn't apply to OP's case of course, since the exemption is only for loading/unloading goods.

OP, if someone is able to enter or exit a vehicle, you're going to have a very difficult time trying to persuade a judge you were "stopped" instead of parked. But by all means, appeal, and let us know how it goes.

Oh, and having hazard lights on makes absolutely zero difference to whether you're allowed stop, and the fact that you're a "professional" driver that doesn't know that is deeply worrying (but unsurprising).

Well, we've got reg. 39(2) and (4) to think about:

The inclusion of sub. (4) implies that the prohibition on parking in sub. (2) would extend to stopping to set down or pick up passengers. If it didn't, sub. (4) wouldn't be needed.

Mmm. They're not necessarily different things either.

I think they are overlapping concepts. At one extreme, stopping at a stop sign or a red light is clearly not parking. At the other extreme, stopping to have a cigarette, read the paper, wait until your scheduled appointment time, etc, clearly is parking.

I have suggested above that reg. 39 indicates that stopping to set down or pick up a passenger would be parking. Generalising from that, if you stop the car to attend to any business or activity that isn't driving, that's parking. But if you stop the car because it would be impossible, unsafe, unlawful, etc to proceed, that's not parking.

Has common sense become a thing of the past?

A taxi driver spots a customer at the side of the road, but it's double yellow for a 100 yards. If he pulls over, winds down his window, and tells her she needs to move 100 yards down the road, does he get done for parking?

I have seen umpteen cars momentarily pull over to drop passengers off on South Great George's Street (and have done it myself) with nary an issue.

If a judge has a problem with such behaviour from a driver conducting his daily business, the law is truly an ass.

I'd be taking it to court.

id be going to court too, picking up dropping off is not parking

Are passengers not the goods that taxi drivers are licensed to pick up?