Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967

Traffic regulation in special cases

12 Temporary prohibition or restriction of traffic on roads.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, if a highway authority are satisfied that traffic on a road should, by reason of any works' being executed or proposed to be executed on or near the road or by reason of the likelihood of danger to the public or of serious damage to the highway, be restricted or prohibited, they may by order restrict or prohibit the use of that road or of any part thereof by vehicles or by vehicles of any class or by foot passengers to such extent and subject to such conditions or exceptions as they may consider necessary.

A highway authority, when considering the question of the making of an order under this subsection, shall have regard to the existence of alternative routes suitable for the traffic which will be affected by the order.

(2) A highway authority may at any time by notice restrict or prohibit temporarily the use of a road or any part of a road by vehicles or by vehicles of any class or by foot passengers where, owing to the likelihood of danger to the public or of serious damage to the highway, it appears to them necessary that such restriction or prohibition should come into force without delay.

(3) The provision which may be made by any such order or notice as aforesaid shall be any such provision as is mentioned in section 1(3) or (3A) of this Act or any provision restricting the speed of vehicles ; but no such order or notice shall be made or issued with respect to any road which would have the effect of preventing at any time access for foot passengers to any premises situated on or adjacent to the road, or any other premises accessible for foot passengers from, and only from, the road.

(4) Where an order under subsection (1) above or a notice under subsection (2) above is made or issued by a highway authority, any such provision as is specified in section 1(3)(a), (b) or (c) or (3A) of this Act may be made, as respects any alternative road—

(a) where that authority is the highway authority for the alternative road, by order made by them ;

(b) where that authority is not the highway authority therefor, by order made,—

(i) where the alternative road is other than a trunk road, by that authority, with the consent of the highway authority for the alternative road ;

(ii) where the alternative road is a trunk road, by the appropriate Minister on the application of that authority;

and subsections (5) and (6) of the said section 1 shall apply to an order under this subsection as they apply to an order under that section.

(5) An order made or notice issued under the foregoing provisions of this section may suspend any statutory provision of a description which could have been contained in the order or notice or, in the case of an order under subsection (4) above, any statutory provision prohibiting the use of roads by through traffic, and any such provision (other than one contained in the order or notice) shall have effect subject to the order or notice.

(6) An order under subsection (1) or (4) above, not being an order made by a Minister, shall not without the approval of the appropriate Minister continue in force for a longer period than six weeks from the making thereof; and where the appropriate Minister has refused to approve the continuing in force of an order made under subsection (1) above, then, except with the approval of the appropriate Minister, no subsequent order shall be made under that subsection as respects any length of road to which the previous order related unless at least three months have expired from the time when the previous order ceased to have effect.

(7) A notice issued under subsection (2) above shall not continue in force for a longer period than fourteen days from the date thereof.

(8) The functions of a highway authority under this section shall, in the case of a road which includes a length for the maintenance of which no highway authority is responsible, extend to that length as well as to the road for the maintenance of which the highway authority are responsible.

This subsection does not extend to Scotland.

(9) A person who contravenes, or who uses or permits the use of a vehicle in contravention of, a restriction or prohibition imposed under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20.

(10) The provisions of Schedule 3 to this Act shall have effect as to the notification of the exercise or proposed exercise of the powers conferred by this section and otherwise in relation thereto; and in that Schedule " the principal section " means this section.

(11) In this section " alternative road ", in relation to a road as respects which an order under subsection (1) above or notice under subsection (2) above is made or issued, means a road providing an alternative route for traffic diverted from the first-mentioned road or from any other alternative road, or capable of providing such an alternative route apart from any statutory provision authorised by the foregoing provisions of this section to be suspended by an order under subsection (4) above.

(12) The powers conferred by this section on the appropriate Minister to make orders shall be exercisable by statutory instrument, and any power conferred by this section to make an order shall include power to vary or revoke it.

13 Traffic regulation on special roads.

(1) A special road shall not be used, except as provided by or under regulations made under subsection (2) below, by any traffic other than traffic of a class authorised in that behalf by a scheme under section 1 of the [1949 c. 32.] Special Roads Act 1949 or section 11 of the [1959 c. 25.] Highways Act 1959 (or, if the road is one to which the last-mentioned Act applies by virtue of section 19 thereof, by any traffic other than traffic of a class for the time being authorised by virtue of that section).

(2) The appropriate Minister may make regulations with respect to the use of special roads, and such regulations may in particular—

(a) regulate the manner in which and the conditions subject to which special roads may be used by traffic of the class authorised in that behalf by such a scheme as is mentioned in subsection (1) above or, as the case may be, by virtue of the said section 19 ;

(b) authorise, or enable such authority as may be specified in the regulations to authorise, the use of special roads, on occasion or in emergency or for the purpose of crossing, or for the purpose of securing access to premises abutting on or adjacent to the roads, by traffic other than such traffic as aforesaid, or relax, or enable such authority as aforesaid to relax, any prohibition or restriction imposed by the regulations.

(3) Regulations made under subsection (2) above may make provision with respect to special roads generally, or may make different provision with respect to special roads provided for the use of different classes of traffic, or may make provision with respect to any particular special road.

(3A) Where by regulations made under subsection (2) above a limit of speed is to be observed, then, if it is to be observed—

(a) on all special roads; or

(b) on all special roads provided for the use of particular classes of traffic ; or

(c) on all special roads other than special roads of such description as may be specified in the regulations; or

(d) as mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above except for such lengths of special road as may be so specified,

section 75 of this Act shall not apply in relation to that limit without prejudice to its application in relation to any lower limit of maximum speed or, as the case may be, higher limit of minimum speed required by any such regulations to be observed on any specified length of any specified special road.

(4) If a person uses a special road in contravention of this section or of regulations under subsection (2) above he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding—

(a) in the case of an offence committed in respect of a motor vehicle otherwise than by unlawfully stopping or allowing the vehicle to remain at rest on a part of the road on which vehicles are in certain circumstances permitted to remain at rest, £50, and

(b) in any other case, £20.

(5) The provisions of this section, and of any regulations made under subsection (2) above, shall not apply to any part of a special road until such date as may be declared by a notice published by the highway authority, in manner prescribed for the publication of notices under section 1(7) of this Act, to be the date on which it is open for use as a special road; but nothing in this subsection shall be construed as preventing the making of regulations under subsection (2) above so as to come into force, in relation to any such road, on the said date.

(6) In this section " use ", in relation to a road, includes crossing.

14 One-way traffic on trunk roads.

(1) Without prejudice to the powers of the appropriate Minister under section 1 of this Act, where he proposes to make an order under section 1 of the [1946 c. 30.] Trunk Roads Act 1946, or section 7 of the [1959 c. 25.] Highways Act 1959, directing that a road shall become a trunk road and considers it expedient that that road, when it becomes a trunk road, should be used only for traffic passing in one direction, and that any other road, being a trunk road or a road which is to become a trunk road by virtue of the order, should be used only for traffic passing in the other direction, the order under the said section 1 or the said section 7, as the case may be, may make provision for restricting the use of those roads accordingly as from such date as may be specified in that behalf in the order.

(2) A person who uses a vehicle or causes or permits a vehicle to be used in contravention of any provision made by virtue of subsection (1) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20, or in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding £50.

15 Regulation of use of highways by public service vehicles.

(1) Subject to subsection (2) below and to sections 84A, 84B and 84C of this Act, a local authority may make orders for determining the highways which may or may not be used by public service vehicles in the area or in any part of the area of the authority and for fixing thereon stands for public service vehicles, and as to the places at which such vehicles may stop for a longer time than is necessary for the taking up and setting down of passengers and as to the manner of using such stands and places ; and any such order may be made—

(a) so as to apply only to such vehicles of a specified class ; or

(b) so as to have effect as respects a limited period only or as respects only limited periods in the year,

and may make different provision for different classes of such vehicles.

(2) No order shall be made under this section as respects Greater London.

(4) Without prejudice to subsection (1) and to any regulations under subsection (2) of section 84C of this Act, before making any order under subsection (1) above otherwise than in pursuance of a direction given by the Minister under section 84A(1) of this Act, the local authority shall consult with the traffic commissioners for any traffic area constituted for the purposes of Part III of the [1960 c. 16.] Road Traffic Act 1960 in which the area or any part of the area of the local authority is situate and, if the local authority's area is situated wholly or partly within an area designated under section 9(1) of the [1968 c. 73.] Transport Act 1968, with the Executive for that area; and if the order is required to be submitted to the Minister for his consent under section 84B(1) of this Act, the local authority shall so consult before so submitting it.

(8) In this section " local authority "—

(a) as respects England and Wales, means as regards a county borough or a non-county borough or urban district having a population according to the last census for the time being of over 20,000 and any other non-county borough or urban district or any rural district the council of which the Minister may by order declare to be a local authority for the purposes of this section, the council of the borough or district, and as regards any other area the council of the county;

(b) as respects Scotland, means in a burgh the magistrates thereof and in a county the council thereof.

16 Prohibition or restriction of use of vehicles on roads of certain classes.

(1) The appropriate Minister may by order prohibit or restrict, subject to such exceptions and conditions as to occasional user or access to premises or otherwise as may be specified in the order, the driving of vehicles on all roads of any such class as may be specified in the order, if he is satisfied that it is desirable that such an order should be made, and may by order revoke, vary, amend or add to the provisions of such an order; but no order under this section shall have effect as respects any part of a special road on or after such date as may be declared by a notice published by the highway authority, in manner prescribed for the publication of notices under section 1(7) of this Act, to be the date on which it is open for use as a special road.

(2) A prohibition or restriction under this section may be imposed either generally, or in relation to any class of vehicle.

(3) For the purposes of this section the appropriate Minister may classify roads in any manner he thinks fit having regard to their character or situation, or the nature of the traffic to which they are suited, and may determine in what class any particular road shall be included.

(4) The powers conferred by this section to make, revoke, vary, amend and add to orders shall be exercisable by statutory instrument, and a statutory instrument by which those powers are exercised shall not have effect unless and until it has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(5) A person who drives a vehicle, or causes or permits a vehicle to be driven, in contravention of an order under this, section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20.

17 Restriction of use of heavy vehicles on weak bridges.

(1) Where the bridge authority of a bridge over which a road passes is satisfied that the bridge is insufficient to carry vehicles of which the weights or axle weights, as hereinafter defined, exceeds certain limits, the authority may by a conspicuous notice in the prescribed form placed in a proper position at each end of the bridge, prohibit the use of the bridge either—

(a) by any vehicle of which the weight exceeds a maximum weight specified in the notice, not being less than five tons, or

(b) by any vehicle of which—

(i) the weight exceeds a maximum weight so specified, not being less than five tons, or

(ii) any axle weight exceeds a maximum axle weight so specified, not being less than three tons;

and any such notice may, as regards both weight of vehicle and axle weight, specify different maximum weights in relation to a vehicle travelling at a speed less than a speed specified in the notice, and in relation to a vehicle travelling at that speed or a greater speed.

(2) The highway authority for a road leading to a bridge shall give to the bridge authority reasonable facilities for placing on the road any such notice as aforesaid and, if the highway authority so require, the bridge authority shall erect warning notices in the prescribed form at the principal junctions of roads leading to the bridge.

(3) Before placing a restriction or prohibition under this section on the use of a bridge, other than one carrying a trunk road and repairable by the Minister or a Secretary of State, the bridge authority shall give to the appropriate Minister twenty-eight days' notice of their intention so to do with particulars of the restriction or prohibition, and the appropriate Minister shall cause a list to be kept of all restrictions or prohibitions which have been placed on the use of bridges under this section, and the list shall be open to inspection by any person.

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) " weight " means weight laden;

(b) the weight transmitted by a vehicle to any transverse strip of the road surface five feet in breadth shall be taken as being an " axle weight " of that vehicle and, for the purposes of this paragraph, a vehicle and any trailer drawn thereby shall be deemed to be a single vehicle;

(c) " placed in a proper position " means placed in such a position either on or near the bridge, or on or near the road leading to the bridge, as to be visible at a reasonable distance from the bridge to the drivers of vehicles approaching it;

(d) " prescribed " means prescribed by regulations made by the appropriate Minister.

(5) If, without the consent of the bridge authority, a vehicle is driven across a bridge in contravention of a notice so placed as aforesaid, any person who so drives it, or causes or permits it to be so driven, shall, without prejudice to any civil liability incurred by him in the case of damage's being caused to the bridge, be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20, or in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding £50.

If in any proceedings under this subsection the prosecutor satisfies the court that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the weight of the vehicle exceeded the maximum weight specified in the notice, or that any axle weight of the vehicle exceeded the maximum axle weight so specified, it shall lie on the defendant to prove that the weight of the vehicle, or every axle weight of the vehicle, as the case may be, did not exceed such maximum weight or maximum axle weight.

(6) Any person or body of persons aggrieved by a restriction or prohibition placed on the use of a bridge under this section, and any highway authority in whose area the bridge is situate, may at any time apply to the appropriate Minister for an order modifying or removing the restriction or prohibition.

(7) On receiving any such application as aforesaid or, in the case of a bridge carrying a trunk road, on his own initiative, the appropriate Minister may cause the bridge to be inspected, and may require the bridge authority to give to his inspector such information as to its structure and condition, and such other facilities for his investigation of the circumstances as the bridge authority may be able to give and, after considering the report of his inspector and any representations made to him by the bridge authority, may, if he thinks proper, make by statutory instrument an order modifying or removing the restriction or prohibition, or imposing different restrictions, and the bridge authority shall, within such time as may be specified in the order, cause notices to be erected complying with the order and, if the bridge authority fail to do so, the appropriate Minister may cause the notice complained of to be removed or varied, or new notices to be erected so as to comply with his order; and the expenses incurred by him in so doing shall be recoverable by him from the bridge authority and, in England or Wales, shall be so recoverable summarily as a civil debt.

(8) Where any such inspection and investigation is held, the appropriate Minister may make such order as to the payment of the costs incurred by him in connection therewith (including such reasonable sum not exceeding five guineas a day as he may determine for the services of any officer engaged thereon) by such party thereto as he thinks fit, and the appropriate Minister may certify the amount of the costs so incurred, and any amount so certified and directed by the appropriate Minister to be paid by any person shall be recoverable from him, and shall be so recoverable, in England or Wales, either as a debt due to the Crown or by the Minister summarily as a civil debt, and in Scotland by the Secretary of

For the purposes of this subsection the applicants and the bridge authority shall be treated as parties to the inspection and investigation.

(9) The appropriate Minister may at any time on an application made to him by the bridge authority, or on his own initiative, by order made by statutory instrument vary or revoke any order made by him under subsection (7) above, if he is satisfied that it is proper so to do.

18 Power of highway and bridge authorities to authorise carriage of excess weights on roads and bridges.

(1) A highway authority as regards any road for the maintenance of which they are responsible, and a bridge authority as regards any bridge for the maintenance of which they are responsible, may, subject to such conditions as they think fit, grant a permit in respect of any trailer specified in the permit drawn by a heavy locomotive or a light locomotive on the road or bridge to carry weights specified in the permit notwithstanding that when conveying such weights the trailer does not comply with any regulations made by the Minister under Part I of the [1960 c. 16.] Road Traffic Act 1960 as to the weight laden of trailers or as to the maximum weight which may be transmitted to the road or any part thereof by trailers, and where such a permit is given it shall not, so long as the conditions, if any, attached to the permit are complied with, be an offence in the case of any such trailer to carry on that road or bridge weights authorised by the permit by reason only that the trailer when conveying them does not comply with such regulations as aforesaid:

Provided that, where a highway authority are responsible for the maintenance of a road passing over a bridge but not for the maintenance of the bridge itself, the power conferred by this section shall be exercisable by the bridge authority and not by the highway authority.

(2) In this section " highway authority " includes any person responsible for the maintenance of a road.

19 Control of driving over Menai Bridge.

(1) A motor vehicle shall not be driven on or over the Menai Bridge except in accordance with and subject to any restrictions contained in regulations made by the Minister.

(2) Different regulations may be made under-this section as respects different classes of vehicles or as respects the same class of vehicles in different circumstances.

(3) A person who acts in contravention of subsection (1) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20, or in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding £50 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.

20 Removal of vehicles illegally, obstructively or dangerously parked, abandoned or broken down.

(1) The appropriate Minister may by regulations make provision for the removal from roads, and safe custody, or for the moving from one position on a road to another position on that or another road, of, and of the loads carried by, vehicles which have been permitted to remain at rest on a road—

(a) in contravention of any statutory prohibition or restriction, or

(b) in such a position or in such condition or in such circumstances as to cause obstruction to other persons using the road or so as to be likely to cause danger to such other persons, or

(c) in such a position or in such condition or in such circumstances as to appear to have been abandoned,

or which have broken down.

(2) Regulations under this section may provide for repealing byelaws dealing with the same subject matter as the regulations, and for suspending, while the regulations remain in force, any power of making such byelaws.

(3) Regulations under this section may be made so as to apply either generally or in such circumstances only as may be specified in the regulations.

(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall have effect subject to the provisions of any order for the time being in force under section 25 of the [1967 c. 69.] Civic Amenities Act 1967.