The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

General interpretationN.I.

2—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F1 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In this Order—

  • “carriage of goods” includes the haulage of goods;

  • “carriageway” means a way constituted or comprised in a road being a way over which the public have a right of way for the passage of vehicles;

  • “constable” does not include a member of the Naval, Military or Royal Air Force Police;

  • “cycle” means a bicycle, a tricycle, or a cycle having 4 or more wheels, not being in any case a motor vehicle;

  • “the Department” means the Department of the Environment;

  • “driver”, where a separate person acts as a steersman of a motor vehicle, includes that person as well as any other person engaged in the driving of the vehicle;

  • “enactment” includes any order, regulation, rule, bye-law or other instrument made under a statutory provision;

  • “footpath” means a way over which the public have a right of way on foot only, not being a footway or a part of a road;

  • “footway” means a way comprised in a road which also comprises a carriageway, being a way over which the public have a right of way on foot only;

  • “goods” includes goods or burden of any description;

  • “goods vehicle” means a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use for the carriage of goods, or a trailer so constructed or adapted;

  • “international road haulage permit” means a licence, permit, authorisation or other document issued in pursuance of a Community instrument relating to the carriage of goods by road between member States or an international agreement to which the United Kingdom is a party and which relates to the international carriage of goods by road;

  • [F2“the Offenders Order” means the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996]

  • “the Order of 1981” means the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981F3;

  • [F4“the Order of 2007” means the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007;]

  • “owner”, in relation to a vehicle which is the subject of a hiring or hire-purchase agreement, means the person in possession of the vehicle under that agreement;

  • “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations;

  • “public path” and “public right of way” have the same meaning as in the Access to the Countryside (Northern Ireland) Order 1983F5;

  • “public road” includes any part of a public road and any bridge or tunnel over or through which a public road passes;

  • “road” includes a public road and any street, carriageway, highway or roadway to which the public has access;

  • “the Road Traffic Orders” means this Order[F6 the Order of 1981 F7. . . the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997]F8[F9. . . the Order of 2007][F10and the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008];

  • “statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F11;

  • [F12“taxi” has the same meaning as in the Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008;]

  • “traffic” includes the passage of animals on a road;

  • “traffic sign”[F6 has the meaning assigned to it by Article 28 of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997]

  • “trolley vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle adapted for use without rails under power transmitted to the vehicle from some external source (whether or not there is in addition a source of power on board the vehicle).

(3) References in this Order to a class of vehicles are to be interpreted as references to a class defined or described by reference to any characteristics of the vehicles or to any other circumstances whatsoever, and accordingly as authorising the use of “category” to indicate a class of vehicles, however defined or described.

F7Word in art. 2(2) in definition of "the Road Traffic Orders" omitted (27.6.2007) by virtue of Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/916 (N.I. 10)), arts. 1(3), 86(1), Sch. 7 para. 9(b)(i); S.R. 2007/302, art. 2, Sch.

F8Word in art. 2(2) in definition of "the Road Traffic Orders" omitted (23.11.2009) by virtue of Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 4), ss. 58(1), 59, Sch. 2 para. 6(a)(i); S.R. 2009/352, art. 2, Sch.

F9Words in art. 2(2) in definition of "the Road Traffic Orders" inserted (27.6.2007) by Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/916 (N.I. 10)), arts. 1(3), 86(1), Sch. 7 para. 9(b)(ii); S.R. 2007/302, art. 2, Sch.

F10Words in art. 2(2) in definition of "the Road Traffic Orders" added (23.11.2009) by Taxis Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 4), ss. 58(1), 59, Sch. 2 para. 6(a)(ii); S.R. 2009/352, art. 2, Sch.