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What Is a Request Stop in the UK? Bus Signals Explained

The Coachway · Updated 2026-10-10 · 6 min read
What Is a Request Stop in the UK? Bus Signals Explained
The verdictA request stop is a bus stop where the bus only pulls in if someone asks: a passenger waiting signals the driver, usually by holding out an arm, or a passenger on board presses the bell. If nobody signals, the bus can drive past. Hail and ride goes further, with no fixed stops on that stretch. Wait somewhere visible and safe, never in the road, and follow the local operator's current instructions for your route.
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What is a request stop on a UK bus route?

A request stop is a bus stop where the bus only pulls in if someone asks it to: a passenger waiting at the stop signals the driver, or a passenger on board presses the bell. If nobody signals, the bus can carry straight on. In practice, the safest habit anywhere in the UK is to treat every stop that way: hold out your arm to board, press the bell to get off, and follow whatever the local operator says for that route.

That last part matters more than any general rule, including ours. Practice varies by area and route. The Coachway is an independent guide; we run no buses and cannot say what a particular service will do on a particular day.

How do you signal a bus to stop for you?

You signal with your arm, early and clearly, once you have checked it is the right bus. The wording from official sources is consistent:

A simple routine that works: read the route number and destination on the front of the bus first, then put your arm out, and keep it there until you can see the bus is slowing for you. Do not rely on someone else at the stop to flag it. They may be waiting for a different route.

How do you ask to get off?

Press the bell once, in good time before your stop. TfL's guidance is to "Press the bell before your stop to give the driver plenty of notice that you want to get off the bus." Travelwest says to "Ring the bell once to tell the driver to stop the bus", and Hartlepool's guidance says "if you are near your stop, press the bell once" and "wait until the bus has fully stopped before getting up".

If you do not know the area, Travelwest's advice is: "If you won't recognise the stop in advance, ask the driver to help when you get on". It saves a lot of anxious window-watching.

What is hail and ride, and how is it different?

Hail and ride is a stretch of route with no fixed stops at all. TfL defines it on its route 419 consultation page as "where you can get on or off the bus by signalling to the driver."

So the difference is this. At a request stop, there is a stop: a sign or flag at a fixed point, and the bus calls there if asked. On a hail-and-ride section, you flag the bus down along the road and ask to get off along the road, and the driver chooses a safe place to pull in.

London TravelWatch, the capital's transport watchdog, described the London version in a 2019 board paper on hail and ride: these routes "can be hailed at any safe location along its route" and "Passengers can alight where the driver can stop safely." The same paper said hail-and-ride routes then operated in 25 London boroughs. That paper describes London. Wherever you travel, check how your own route and operator handle it before relying on it.

Where should you wait on a hail-and-ride road?

Wait on the pavement, at a straight, open stretch where the driver can see you from a distance and can pull in safely. Do not step into the carriageway to wave a bus down.

The same London TravelWatch paper quotes TfL's guidance manual for bus drivers, the Big Red Book, which tells drivers to "Avoid grass verges, street corners and bends in the road where your view is limited or where you could block other road users". That gives you a practical rule for where to stand: not on a corner, not on a bend, and not hidden behind parked vans. If a driver cannot see you in time, or cannot stop safely where you are, the bus may not stop for you there.

Why might the bus not stop exactly where you rang?

On a hail-and-ride section, the driver needs a safe place to stop, and that may be some distance past the point you had in mind. London TravelWatch found that passengers who have just rung the bell "do not always recognise that the driver needs to travel an appropriate distance to ensure that there is a gap from the previous stopping point."

The same research also flagged two things worth knowing before you travel:

Is a request stop on a train the same thing?

The idea is the same, but the signals differ. Some small railway stations are request stops too. The National Rail page for Ty Croes station, a small station managed by Transport for Wales, says: "This station is a request stop." It tells passengers: "To board, please give a clear hand signal to the driver as the train approaches" and "To alight from the train, please inform the conductor in good time."

So on a train you tell the conductor rather than pressing a bell. Check the station's own page before you go, as arrangements can differ.

Why do the local operator's instructions win?

Because the arrangements change, and they differ from place to place. TfL's route 419 consultation, for example, proposed turning the hail-and-ride section on Lonsdale Road in Barnes into fixed stops, because "Lonsdale Road has seen an increase in on-street parking, making it difficult for drivers to pull alongside a kerb". In an update dated 8 August 2025, TfL said "we have decided to proceed with the proposed changes as set out in the consultation", while "The existing hail and ride route in the remainder of Barnes would continue as now."

The places that will be current are:

What should you check before your first request-stop journey?

Before an unfamiliar route, run through this list:

If you are building a whole day around buses, our guide to planning a day out by bus covers return times and connections. And if you are not sure whether you are travelling on a local bus or a coach service, our bus vs coach explainer sets out the practical differences.

Sources and quotations were checked in October 2026. Arrangements change, so treat the operator's current information as the final word.

Sources

FAQ

How do you signal a bus to stop in the UK?

Check the route number and destination on the front of the bus, then hold your arm out clearly so the driver can see it. TfL tells passengers to signal to the driver to indicate they want to get on, and Travelwest says to raise your arm. Keep the signal up until the bus is clearly slowing, and do not rely on others at the stop to flag it for you.

How do you get off at a request stop?

Press the bell once, in good time before your stop, and stay seated until the bus has fully stopped. TfL advises pressing the bell before your stop to give the driver plenty of notice. If you will not recognise the stop, Travelwest suggests asking the driver to help when you get on. Local practice can vary, so follow the operator's instructions.

What is the difference between a request stop and hail and ride?

A request stop is a fixed stop where the bus calls only if someone signals or rings the bell. Hail and ride is a stretch of route with no fixed stops: TfL describes it as getting on or off the bus by signalling to the driver. On hail and ride, the driver chooses a safe place to pull in, which may not be exactly where you asked.

Do trains in the UK have request stops too?

Yes, some small stations are request stops. National Rail's page for Ty Croes station, for example, says passengers should give a clear hand signal to the driver as the train approaches to board, and inform the conductor in good time to get off. Arrangements can differ between stations, so check the station's own National Rail page before you travel.