Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2003 No. 214

ROAD TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES

Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Made

3rd April 2003

Coming into operation

19th May 2003

The Department for Regional Development(1), in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 28(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997(2) and now exercisable by it(3) and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 19th May 2003.

Amendments

2.—(1) The Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(4) shall be amended as provided by paragraphs (2) to (12).

(2) In regulation 11 (proportions and form of letters, numerals, symbols and other characters) –

(a) for paragraph (1) there shall be substituted the following paragraph –

“(1) Subject to paragraphs (2), (3) and (5) –

(a) all letters, numerals and other characters incorporated in the signs or parts of the signs shown in the diagrams in Schedules 1 to 5, 7, 10 and 12 which have a red, blue, brown, black or green background (other than those incorporated in the bottom panels of diagrams 544.1A and 674, the top panels of diagrams 2919 and 2920, the petrol price display in diagram 2919, diagrams 5001.1, 5001.2, 5003, 5003.1, 5005 and 5005.1 and the top and bottom panels of diagram 7008) shall have the proportions and form shown in Part I of Schedule 13; and

(b) all letters, numerals and other characters incorporated in the signs or parts of the signs shown in the diagrams in Schedules 1 to 5, 7, 10 and 12 which have a white, yellow or orange background (other than those incorporated in the bottom panels of diagrams 544.1A and 674, the top panels of diagrams 2919 and 2920 and the top and bottom panels of diagram 7008) shall have the proportions and form shown in Part II of Schedule 13.”;

(b) for paragraph (4) there shall be substituted the following paragraph –

“(4) Any letters, numerals or other characters incorporated in the bottom panels of diagrams 544.1A and 674, the top panels of diagrams 2919 and 2920, the petrol price display in diagram 2919 and the top and bottom panels of diagram 7008, may have proportions and form other than the proportions and form shown in Schedule 13.”.

(3) In regulation 21 (buses, bus lanes and bus symbols) in paragraph (2)(b) after the first occurrence of the word “cycles” there shall be inserted “, motorcycles”.

(4) In Schedule 1 (warning signs) after diagram 544.1 there shall be inserted the following diagram and the words specified in and under it –

“544.1ATraffic calmed area

Item
1	Regulations: 11(1), 11(4)
2	Diagrams: None
3	Permitted variants: Schedule 16, item 18 The pictogram in the lower portion of the sign may be varied or omitted. The place name may be varied or omitted. A road safety slogan may be added below the place name. The place name and road safety slogan may be in any style of lettering. Any contrasting colours except red may be used for the place name or road safety slogan and the background of that part of the sign. Advertising material or political slogans shall not be included on the sign
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 1

”

(5) In Schedule 2 (regulatory signs) diagram 674.1 shall be deleted;

(6) In Schedule 3 (signs for railway and tramway level crossings) for diagram 784 and the words specified in and under it there shall be inserted the following –

“784Drivers of large or slow vehicles must stop and telephone before using an automatic railway or tramway level crossing

Item
1	Regulations: 8, 14(1)
2	Diagrams: None
3	Permitted variants: The expression “619-60 (18.75m)” may be replaced by “559 ”, in which case the expression “(2.9m)” shall be deleted and the figure “44” replaced by “38”
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 1

”

(7) In Schedule 4 (other informatory signs) after diagram 879 there shall be inserted the following diagram and the words specified in and under it –

“881Name of a waterway (and bridge if appropriate)

Item
1	Regulations: 11(1)
2	Diagrams: None
3	Permitted variants: The waterway name may be varied. The bridge name may be varied or omitted. The background colour of the sign may be varied to blue, brown or green, in which case the colour of the lettering and borders shall be white
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 2

”

(8) In Schedule 5 (signs for bus, tram and pedal cycle facilities) –

(a) for diagram 958 and the words specified in and under it there shall be substituted the following –

“958With-flow bus lane ahead

Item
1	Regulations: 21(2)
2	Diagrams: 961
3	Permitted variants: The word “permitted” or the words “permitted taxi” may be omitted. The cycle symbol may be omitted. The motorcycle symbol may be omitted, in which case the cycle symbol, if retained, shall be placed on the left-hand side. The legend “local” or “& coaches” in black may be placed on the bus symbol. The diagram may be varied to show the bus lane on the right-hand side
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 1

”

(b) for diagram 959 and the words specified in and under it there shall be substituted the following –

“959With-flow bus lane

Item
1	Regulations: 21(2)
2	Diagrams: 961, 1048, 1049
3	Permitted variants: The word “permitted” or the words “permitted taxi” may be omitted. The cycle symbol may be omitted. The motorcycle symbol may be omitted, in which case the cycle symbol, if retained, shall be placed on the left-hand side. When the word “permitted” and the motorcycle symbol are both omitted, then the word “taxi” shall be placed on the right-hand side of the cycle symbol. The legend “local” or “& coaches” in black may be placed on the bus symbol. The diagram may be varied to show the bus lane on the right-hand side
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 1

”

(c) in diagram 961 in item 3 of the table for the words “item 21” there shall be substituted “items 21, 22”.

(9) In Schedule 12 Part I (miscellaneous warning, informatory and regulatory signs for roadworks) after diagram 7005 there shall be inserted the following diagram and the words specified in and under it –

“7008Nature of street works, giving names of employer and contractor, emergency telephone number, and apology for inconvenience

Item
1	Regulations: 11(1), 11(4)
2	Diagrams: None
3	Permitted variants: Details shown shall be varied as appropriate, but the emergency telephone number must be the most prominent item. The top and bottom panels may be in any colours and style of lettering. The bottom panel may be omitted. The top panel may be omitted and the undertaker’s name shown on the main panel
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 2

”

(10) In Schedule 15 (legends for use on variable message signs) in Part I (signs automatically activated by vehicular traffic) after item 1 there shall be inserted the following item –

“1A.   The legend “SLOW DOWN” and the sign in diagram 670 shown in Schedule 2 may be displayed on a sign which is activated automatically by the speed of a vehicle approaching the equipment which controls the sign.”.

(11) In Schedule 16 (permitted variants) in item 22 in column (2) after the words “661.3,” there shall be inserted “961,”.

(12) In Schedule 17 (illumination requirements) –

(a) in item 1, column 2 –

(i) after the words “554.1,” there shall be inserted “554.1A,”; and

(ii) the word “674.1,” shall be deleted;

(b) in item 2, column 2 –

(i) after the words “857.1,” there shall be inserted “881,”; and

(ii) after the words “975,” there shall be inserted “7008,”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Regional Development on 3rd April 2003.

L.S.

J. Carlisle

A senior officer of the

Department for Regional Development

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. The principal amendments are to –

(a) regulation 11 to permit the top and bottom panels of the sign shown in diagram 7008 to have proportions and form other than those shown in Schedule 13 (regulation 2(2));

(b) regulation 21(2)(b) to redefine the expression “bus lane” (regulation 2(3));

(c) transfer the sign in diagram 674.1 from Schedule 2 to Schedule 1 and re-number it as diagram 544.1A (regulation 2(4) and (5));

(d) the sign in diagram 784 by changing the dimensions and weight of vehicles to which it applies and by retaining its original vehicular application as a permitted variant (regulation 2(6));

(e) add the sign in diagram 881 to indicate a waterway (and bridge, if appropriate) (regulation 2(7));

(f) add a permitted variant to the signs in diagrams 958 and 959 to permit the use of with-flow bus lanes by motorcycles (regulation 2(8)(a) and (b));

(g) add a permitted variant to the sign in diagram 961 to permit a reference to the month of the year to be added (regulation 2(8)(c)); and

(h) add the sign in diagram 7008 to indicate the nature of street works, giving the names of the employer and contractor and an emergency telephone number (regulation 2(9)).

These Regulations have been notified to the European Commission pursuant to Directive 98/34/EC of 22nd June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules on Information Society Services (O.J. No. L204, 21.07.98, p. 37-48) as amended by Directive 98/48/EC of 20th July 1998 (O.J. No. L217, 05.08.98, p. 18-26). Copies of the Directives can be obtained from the Stationery Office Bookshop, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast, BT1 4GD.

(1)

S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(1)

(2)

S.I. 1997/276 (N.I. 2)

(3)

S.R. 1999 No. 481 Article 6(d) and Schedule 4 Part IV

(4)

S.R. 1997 No. 386; relevant amending rules are S.R. 1999 No. 484 and S.R. 2002 No. 143