Restricted route to a hotel drop-off
You are driving a 12.2 m coach, 4.1 m high, 2.55 m wide, 18 t. Your route to a hotel has a signed 4.0 m bridge, a 2.3 m width restriction, a camera-enforced bus gate operating 07:00–19:00, and a weak bridge signed 7.5 t with an 'except for access' plate. The hotel is inside the weight-limit area. Your drop-off is 300 m past the weak bridge. The sat-nav is directing you to the 4.0 m bridge because it is the shortest route. The alternative is a 6-mile diversion. Two passengers are wheelchair users and the group includes children.
1. Which restrictions apply to your vehicle and why?
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The 4.0 m bridge is lower than your 4.1 m vehicle, and the 2.3 m width restriction is narrower than your 2.55 m. Both are absolute physical restrictions; there is no margin for guessing or for following a sat-nav. The bus gate is camera-enforced 07:00–19:00 and a coach is not a bus unless the order specifically permits it. The 7.5 t weak bridge with 'except for access' may allow you to reach the hotel if the order covers all vehicles, but only for genuine access and only if there is no reasonable alternative. Check the sign and order, not the sat-nav.
2. Plan the route and say what you would do if no legal alternative exists.
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Plan a route that avoids the low bridge, the width restriction and the bus gate. Use a low-bridge/width map or ask the operator or hotel for a coach route. If the only access is the weak bridge, confirm the order and the bridge's actual limit before crossing; if it is not clearly permitted, do not cross. If no legal route exists, arrange a smaller vehicle or a drop-off outside the restriction and shuttle passengers. Stop in a safe place to replan; do not reverse a 12 m coach blindly or attempt the bridge to save time.
3. What passenger-safety points matter at the drop-off?
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At the drop-off, choose a safe, well-lit place clear of bus stops, crossings and double yellows. Keep hazard lights on only while necessary, use the pavement-side door, and keep the aisle clear. Assist the wheelchair users and count passengers off and back on. Do not block the road while unloading; if the hotel entrance is obstructed, use the agreed alternative bay and walk passengers the short distance.