Tag:request_stop=yes
 request_stop = yes
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| Description |
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Indicates that public transport vehicles stop only on demand. 
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| Group: public transport |
| Used on these elements |
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| Useful combination |
| Status: in use |
| Tools for this tag |
A request stop or flag stop is a public transport stop or station that is only served by a public transport service upon request. In rail transport, such a stop is also called a whistle stop. Many bus systems also operate request stops.
How to map
Add request_stop=yes to a railway=halt, railway=tram_stop, or railway=station if passenger trains only stop there upon request. Similarly, add it to a highway=bus_stop if buses only stop there by request.
Rationale
This tag arose as a solution to the skunking of railway=halt, which is for minor railway stations (halts). A disagreement arose between mappers in the United Kingdom and other Anglophone countries, who were using stop-by-request rules to distinguish halts, and mappers elsewhere in Europe, who were using this same tag to distinguish other characteristics, such as non-junction or unstaffed stations. Although OSM generally uses British English, the term "halt" proved too contentious to salvage.[1][2] As a compromise, some communities began to reinforce railway=halt with request_stop=yes. Soon, British mappers abandoned railway=halt in favor of railway=station, and North Americans also made the same transition for light rail stations.
Caveats
The particular rules for making the request vary from system to system. This tag does not distinguish between requests made onboard versus trackside. It does not indicate whether an onboard passenger must make the request to the conductor shortly before the stop versus scheduling a stop when purchasing the ticket. Nor does it indicate whether a trackside passenger merely needs to be visible versus needing to flag down the operator or activate some sort of signal.
A disadvantage of tagging the stop node is that a node tag is incapable of modeling a mix of services serving the same stop, some requiring a request and others stopping unconditionally. In some countries, this is unlikely to be a problem: as of August 2026, no request_stop=yes stop in the U.S. is served by routes belonging to more than one distinct network=* [1], and only one stop is affected in the UK. [2]
A 2025 proposal seeks to clarify these details by replacing the tag with a dedicated set or roles for members of public transport relations.
Statistics
As of August 2026, Anglophone countries primarily use this key on railway=* features, accounting for 90% of occurrences in the British Isles [3] and 62% of occurrences in the United States [4]. However, the UK only uses request_stop=yes on railway=station [5] and the U.S. mostly uses uses it on railway=stop. [6]
Some European countries also use this key almost exclusively on railway=* features, accounting for 99.5% of occurrences in Germany [7], 88% in Spain [8], and 77% in Czechia. [9]
By contrast, other European countries primarily use this key on bus stops, accounting for 92% of occurrences in France [10], 86% in Poland [11], and 82% in Italy [12].
Examples
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Australia:
Train station request instructions -
Hong Kong:
Tram stop request button -
United Kingdom:
Bus stop by request -
United Kingdom:
Bus stop by request -
United Kingdom:
Tram stop by request -
United States:
Train station request button
