Painting different coloured lines on the side of Spanish roads, is not an experiment in showing all of the colours of the rainbow but each colour has a meaning.
White lines
White lines painted on the side of the road indicate that you can park your vehicle there as long as you wish without having to pay although some spots may be reserved solely for the disabled.
Yellow lines
A continuous yellow line indicates that parking is not allowed in that area although you may be able to stop briefly to load or unload your vehicle if the yellow line is interrupted at the curb or edge of the road.
A yellow zig zag line indicates that the area is reserved for a special purpose such as a bus stop, taxi stand or delivery area and private vehicles may not stop there.
Blue lines
Blue lines allow parking but this needs to be paid for by obtaining a parking ticket which needs to be displayed clearly but in many areas, parking is free at lunchtime, night time, weekends or national holidays and in some places electric vehicles but this can be checked at roadside ticket machines.
Orange lines
In some municipalities, orange lines have appeared which indicate that parking is available for local residents only at certain times of the day and signs will advise what the rules are
Green lines
Green lines are similar to red and orange lines as they indicate a reserved parking area for local residents but anyone may park for up to two hours if they pay a fee but green lines can also indicate short term parking for services such as taxis.
Generally speaking you should never park on or partly on a pavement unless there is a sign indicating it is acceptable and a much less known and not obvious restriction means that if you park in the opposite direction to the traffic flow, then you could be fined.
Just to confuse however if the coloured lines appear in the middle of the road they have a different meaning and there is an experiment with the painting of continuous green lines on the side of certain motorways in order to encourage drivers to slow down.
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Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica.
Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene.
Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development.
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