Restriction of Vehicles on Bridges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2004 No. 211

ROAD TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES

Restriction of Vehicles on Bridges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Made

5th May 2004

Coming into operation

28th June 2004

The Department for Regional Development(1), in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 66(1), (11) and (12) and 74(1) 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, makes the following regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These regulations may be cited as the Restriction of Vehicles on Bridges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 and shall come into operation on 28th June 2004.

Interpretation

2.  In these regulations –

“the Offenders Order” means the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996(4);

“the 1997 Regulations” means the Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(5);

“the Regulation Order” means the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

Forms of notice to be placed under Article 66(1) of the Regulation Order

3.  The notices prescribed for the purposes of Article 66(1) of the Regulation Order shall be of the size, colour and type illustrated by diagrams 622.1A and 626.2 of the 1997 Regulations and may be varied to the extent permitted by those regulations in so far as those variations relate to bridges.

Description of weight

4.  The following description of weight is prescribed for the purposes of Article 66(11) of the Regulation Order –

“maximum gross weight” has the meaning assigned to that term by regulation 2 of the 1997 Regulations.

Application of Article 20 of the Offenders Order

5.  Article 20 of the Offenders Order shall have effect in relation to any proceedings for an offence under Article 66(5) of the Regulation Order as it has effect in relation to proceedings for an offence under Article 54, 56, 57 or 58 of the Order of 1995.

Revocation

6.  The Restriction of Vehicles on Bridges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(6) are hereby revoked.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Regional Development on 5th May 2004.

L.S.

J. Carlisle

A senior officer of the

Department for Regional Development

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order.)

These regulations revoke and replace the Restriction of Vehicles on Bridges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997.

The regulations prescribe –

(a) the notices to be placed by the Department for the purposes of Article 66(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 where it is satisfied that a bridge is insufficient to bear vehicles of which the weight exceeds certain limits; and

(b) maximum gross weight as the description of weight for the purposes of Article 66(11).

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.I. 1996/1320 (N.I. 10)

(5)

S.R. 1997 No. 386 to which there is no relevant amendment

(6)

S.R. 1997 No. 334