Legal definition
Loading and unloading must take place off the road. Where using the road is unavoidable, operations must not cause danger or serious disruption and must comply with stopping and parking rules and, in built-up areas, municipal rules on times and places.
RGC (RD 1428/2003), Article 16 (translated summary)Definition
Loading and unloading is the operation of putting goods into a vehicle or removing them from it. It must take place off the road; if using the road is unavoidable, comply with Article 16 of Spain’s General Traffic Regulations.
Where you may stop to load
A yellow zigzag road marking means parking is banned there for vehicles in general because the space is reserved for a special use that does not involve a long stay — a bus stop, or a loading bay. Double parking never qualifies: it is completely forbidden on roads inside built-up areas, however wide the road, even for loading and unloading goods vehicles. Municipal by-laws set the hours and the bays where the operation is allowed.
Key facts
- General rule: load and unload off the road wherever possible.
- On the road, work from the side of the vehicle closest to the kerb.
- As quickly as possible, without unnecessary noise; on urban roads, with the engine switched off.
- Goods may never be left on the carriageway, the shoulder or pedestrian areas.
- Double parking to load or unload is forbidden inside built-up areas.
Frequently asked questions
- How must loading and unloading be carried out in Spain?
- Off the road wherever possible; otherwise from the side of the vehicle closest to the kerb, quickly, without unnecessary noise, and without leaving goods on the carriageway, the shoulder or pedestrian areas.
- Can you double-park to unload?
- No. Double parking is completely forbidden on roads inside built-up areas, however wide the road, even when the purpose is loading or unloading a goods vehicle.
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