Transport Act 2000

Quiet lanes and home zones and rural road speed limits

268 Quiet lanes and home zones

(1) A local traffic authority may designate any road for which they are the traffic authority as a quiet lane or a home zone.

(2) The appropriate national authority may make regulations authorising local traffic authorities who have designated roads as quiet lanes or home zones to make use orders and speed orders of such descriptions as are prescribed by the regulations in relation to any roads designated by them as quiet lanes or home zones.

(3) A use order is an order permitting the use of a road for purposes other than passage.

(4) But a use order may not permit any person—

(a) wilfully to obstruct the lawful use of a road by others, or

(b) to use a road in a way which would deny reasonable access to premises situated on or adjacent to the road.

(5) A speed order is an order authorising the local traffic authority by whom it is made to take measures with a view to reducing the speed of motor vehicles or cycles (or both) on a road to below that specified in the order.

(6) The appropriate national authority may make regulations specifying procedures for the making, variation and revocation of—

(a) designations, and

(b) use orders and speed orders,

including procedures for confirmation (whether by the appropriate national authority or any other body).

(7) The appropriate national authority may give guidance to local traffic authorities about matters to which they must have regard in determining whether or not to designate a road as a quiet lane or home zone.

(8) In this section—

• “the appropriate national authority” means—

  (a)

  the Secretary of State as respects England, and

  (b)

  the National Assembly for Wales as respects Wales,

• “cycle” has the same meaning as in the [1988 c. 52.] Road Traffic Act 1988,

• “local traffic authority” has the same meaning as in the [1984 c. 27.] Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984,

• “motor vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads, and

• “road” has the same meaning as in the [1984 c. 27.] Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

(9) Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument and may make different provision for different cases or areas.

(10) A statutory instrument containing regulations made by the Secretary of State under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

269 Report on rural road speed limits

(1) The Secretary of State shall review the operation in relation to rural roads of the provision made by and under—

(a) Part VI of the [1984 c. 27.] Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (speed limits), and

(b) Schedule 9 to that Act (orders) so far as relating to orders under that Part.

(2) The review shall in particular include consideration of whether (and, if so, how) the law should be amended to facilitate the introduction of rural road hierarchies.

(3) A rural road hierarchy is a system under which rural roads are categorised by a local traffic authority (by reference to the ways in which they are used) for the purpose of subjecting different categories of rural roads to different speed limits.

(4) The Secretary of State shall consult—

(a) the Scottish Ministers, and

(b) the National Assembly for Wales,

when carrying out the review.

(5) The Secretary of State shall publish a report of the review before the end of the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.

(6) The Secretary of State shall lay a copy of the report before each House of Parliament.

(7) In this section “local traffic authority” has the same meaning as in the [1984 c. 27.] Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.