Coaches privately hired for a group excursion are treated in the same way as buses and coaches on regular registered routes; they may use bus lanes, and passengers can be set down and picked up from bus stops. (The use of bus stops by excursion coaches is not, however, recommended).

The exceptions are where the highway authority has put into place either bus stop and/or bus lane restrictions. Where coaches are excluded from bus lanes, the word ‘local’ must appear on the bus lane sign. Bus stops must indicate the restriction with an appropriate sign at the stop. Triple yellow kerb markers were used to indicate restricted bus stops until 1st January 1999, but since then signing must be used.

Like any other vehicle, a coach may stop on single or double yellow lines for purposes of loading (e.g. the set down and pick up of passengers) providing the vehicle is not causing an obstruction and there is not a loading ban. A distinction must be drawn, however, between ‘loading’ and ‘parking’ i.e. a coach waiting on a double yellow line for the group to arrive would be considered to be parked, whereas a coach stopped to set down passengers would be considered to be unloading.

The grey area is when a coach is waiting while group members’ board the vehicle in ones and twos rather than a continuous stream. In this case, there may need to be some flexibility on the part of the coach driver who may be asked by a police officer, traffic warden or parking attendant to ‘go around the block’ while group members assemble.