A stationary bus is not an empty part of the road. It may be about to move, and people nearby may change direction unexpectedly. During driving lessons, the useful question is not simply “Who goes first?” but “What is happening, which rule applies, and how can I respond predictably?”

I’m Elvis Begic from Rijschool in Maastricht. I teach calm, personal manual lessons in English and Dutch in a Volkswagen Golf.

The specific rule inside built-up areas

[Article 56 of the Dutch traffic rules](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0004825/2026-07-01#HoofdstukII_Paragraaf24_Artikel56) requires drivers inside a built-up area to give a bus the opportunity to leave a bus stop when its driver signals that intention with the indicator.

This is not a general rule that every bus goes first at every junction. Check that the situation actually concerns departure from a bus stop inside a built-up area.

Article 56 also provides an exception for drivers of motor vehicles belonging to a military convoy or motor-vehicle funeral procession. Do not apply that exception to your ordinary lesson car.

Outside the built-up area

The special obligation in article 56 does not apply outside a built-up area. The general rule for moving off is that the driver carrying out the manoeuvre must let other traffic go first; see article 54 in the same regulations.

That does not mean you should speed past a bus or ignore a developing risk. Having a rule in your favour is not a reason to abandon observation.

Look early and leave yourself time

In lessons, practise noticing the stop and the bus before you are immediately beside it. Watch the indicator and the space the vehicle may need. Consider following traffic before changing speed, and avoid last-second decisions.

If the bus is preparing to leave in the situation covered by article 56, create the opportunity calmly. Do not accelerate to squeeze past. Keep watching for people near the stop rather than concentrating exclusively on the bus.

Do not guess from the navigation

A navigation instruction does not tell you whether a bus is about to move. Your route remains secondary to the actual traffic. Read our guide to independent route driving and avoiding device distractions.

Review the decision, not just the outcome

After a lesson, ask: did I identify the built-up-area situation, notice the indicator early and respond smoothly? A clear example is more useful than “the bus was difficult”. Our self-reflection guide helps you turn that observation into a practical next goal.

Learning around Maastricht

We connect these rules with real traffic during personal manual lessons in Maastricht. Depending on agreed arrangements and current possibilities, lessons can also be discussed from Meerssen, Bunde, Gronsveld and Cadier en Keer.

View the current prices or contact Elvis with your experience and preferred language. Availability must be confirmed personally. No package guarantees an exam result.

Official RVV rules checked on 30 October 2026. Follow current signs, the actual traffic situation and the complete rules.