Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967

Traffic signs

54 Traffic signs.

(1) In this Act " traffic sign " means any object or device (whether fixed or portable) for conveying, to traffic on roads or any specified class of traffic, warnings, information, requirements, restrictions or prohibitions of any description specified by regulations made by the Minister and the Secretary of State acting jointly or authorised by the appropriate Minister, and any fine or mark on a road for so conveying such warnings, information, requirements, restrictions or prohibitions.

(2) Traffic signs shall be of the size, colour and type prescribed by regulations made as aforesaid except where the appropriate Minister authorises the erection or retention of a sign of another character; and for the purpose of this subsection illumination, whether by lighting or by the use of reflectors or reflecting material, or the absence of such illumination, shall be part of the type or character of a sign.

(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) Except as provided by this Act, no traffic sign shall be placed on or near a road except—

(a) a notice in respect of the use of a bridge;

(b) a traffic sign placed, in pursuance of powers conferred by a special Act of Parliament or order having the force of an Act, by the owners or workers of a tramway, light railway, or trolley vehicle undertaking, a dock undertaking or a harbour undertaking;

(c) a traffic sign placed on any land by a person authorised under the following provisions of this Act to place the sign on a highway, being a sign placed on that land for a purpose for which that person is authorised to place it on a highway.

(5) Regulations under this section, or any authorisation under subsection (2) above, may provide that section 14 of the [1960 c. 16.] Road Traffic Act 1960 (drivers to comply with traffic directions) shall apply to signs of a type specified in that behalf by the regulations, or as the case may be to the sign to which the authorisation relates.

(6) References in any enactment (including any enactment contained in this Act) to the erection or placing of traffic signs shall include references to the display thereof in any manner, whether or not involving fixing or placing.

55 Powers and duties of highway authorities as to placing of traffic signs.

(1) Subject to and in conformity with such general directions as may be given by the Minister and the Secretary of State acting jointly, or such other directions as may be given by the appropriate Minister, a highway authority may cause or permit traffic signs to be placed on or near any road in their area.

(2) The appropriate Minister may give directions to a highway authority—

(a) for the placing of a traffic sign of any prescribed type or authorised character specified in the directions ;

(b) for replacing a sign so specified by, or converting it into, a sign of another prescribed type or authorised character so specified.

(3) The power to give general directions under subsection (1) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

56 Powers and duties of Greater London Council in respect of traffic signs.

(1) The Greater London Council (hereafter in this section referred to as " the Council ") may, to such extent as the Council may consider necessary, in connection with any order under section 6 or 9 of this Act made or proposed to be made by the Council, exercise, as respects any road in Greater London which is not a trunk road, any powers exercisable by the highway authority for that road in connection with the placing of traffic signs on or near that road in pursuance of section 55 of this Act, and affix any such sign to any lamppost or other structure in the highway, whether or not belonging to the Council.

(2) The Council may give to the highway authority for any road in Greater London which is not a trunk road such directions with respect to the adjustment, modification or replacement of, or of any part of, the mechanism of traffic signs, being light signals controlled by that authority, as the Council may consider expedient in the interests of the movement of traffic.

(3) As respects any traffic sign lawfully in place in Greater London which is required in connection with an order under section 6 or 9 of this Act, it shall be the duty of the Council—

(a) to take such steps to maintain, and to make such alteration of, that sign as may be necessary or expedient in connection with any such order in connection with which it is required ;

(b) to remove that sign if it ceases to be required in connection with any such order.

56A Power of certain traffic authorities in respect of traffic signs.

(1) This section applies to any authority having power to make an order under or by virtue of any of the following provisions of this Act, namely, sections 1(1) to (7), 5, 12, 15, 26, 26A, 28, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37(2) and (3), 73(3) and 74, or an order as respects a road outside Greater London under section 9 of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to any powers conferred by or under any other provision of this Act, but subject to subsection (3) below, an authority to whom this section applies may place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, such traffic signs of any type prescribed or character authorised under section 54 of this Act as the authority may consider necessary in connection with any such order as aforesaid made by the authority as respects any road; but if the order is made by an authority other than the highway authority for that road, the authority by whom the order was made—

(a) shall consult with the highway authority as to the placing of the signs ; and

(b) unless the highway authority are unwilling so to do, shall enter into arrangements with the highway authority for the signs to be placed and maintained by the highway authority.

(3) The powers conferred by subsection (2) above on an authority to whom this section applies shall be exercisable subject to and in conformity with any general directions given under section 55(1) of this Act whether or not that authority is a highway authority; and any other power conferred by the said section 55 to give directions to a highway authority shall include power to give the like directions to any authority to whom this section applies.

(4) In relation to an order under section 15 or 33 of this Act, the appropriate Minister for the purposes of any directions under the said section 55 by virtue of subsection (3) above shall, notwithstanding anything in section 104(1) or section 108 of this Act, in all cases be the Minister of Transport.

57 Traffic signs for giving effect to local traffic regulations.

A constable, or a person acting under the instructions (whether general or specific) of the chief officer of police, may place on a highway, or on any structure on a highway, traffic signs of any size, colour and type prescribed or authorised under section 54 of this Act, being signs indicating prohibitions, restrictions or requirements relating to vehicular traffic, as may be requisite for giving effect to regulations, orders or directions made or given under section 52 of the [1839 c. 47.] Metropolitan Police Act 1839, under section 22 of the local Act of the second and third year of the reign of Queen Victoria, chapter 94, under section 21 of the [1847 c. 89.] Town Police Clauses Act 1847, or under section 385 of the [1892 c. 55.] Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892, or any corresponding provision contained in a local Act relating to any part of Scotland, or for giving effect to directions given under section 12(3) of the [1960 c. 16.] Road Traffic Act 1960.

58 Emergency traffic signs.

(1) A constable, or a person acting under the instructions (whether general or specific) of the chief officer of police, may place on a highway, or on any structure on a highway, traffic signs of any size, colour and type prescribed or authorised under section 54 of this Act, being signs indicating prohibitions, restrictions or requirements relating to vehicular traffic, as may be necessary or expedient to prevent or mitigate congestion or obstruction of traffic, or danger to or from traffic, in consequence of extraordinary circumstances ; and the power to place signs conferred by this subsection shall include power to maintain a sign for a period of seven days or less from the time when it was placed, but no longer.

(2) Section 14 of the Road Traffic Act 1960 (drivers to comply with traffic directions) shall apply to signs placed in the exercise of the powers conferred by this section.

59 Warning devices for indicating temporary obstructions.

Regulations under section 54 of this Act prescribing any type of object or device for warning traffic of a temporary obstruction may include provisions for authorising, subject to such conditions as may be specified in the regulations, persons not otherwise authorised to do so to place an object or device of that type on or near roads or on or near any description of road so specified, in such circumstances and for such periods as may be so specified.

60 Traffic signs in connection with experimental traffic schemes in London.

For the purpose of giving notice of any prohibition, restriction or requirement imposed by regulations under section 11 of this Act a constable, or a person acting under the instructions (whether general or specific) of the commissioner of police of the metropolis or the commissioner of police for the City of London, may place on a highway, or on any structure on a highway, traffic signs of any size, colour and type prescribed or authorised under section 54 of this Act.

61 Removal of traffic signs, etc.

(1) The highway authority may by notice in writing require the owner or occupier of any land on which there is an object or device (whether fixed or portable) for the guidance or direction of persons using roads to remove it, and if a person fails to comply with such a notice the highway authority may themselves effect the removal, doing as little damage as may be; and the expense incurred by them in so doing shall be recoverable by them from the person so in default and, in England or Wales, shall be so recoverable summarily as a civil debt.

(2) The appropriate Minister may give directions to a highway authority requiring the authority to remove, or cause to be removed, any traffic sign or any such object or device as is mentioned in subsection (1) above.

(3) After the repeal by virtue of the [1960 c. 16.] Road Traffic Act 1960 of section 6 of the [1861 c. 70.] Locomotive Act 1861, a bridge authority shall, if so directed by the appropriate Minister, remove, or cause to be removed, any notice in respect of the use of a bridge placed under that section.

62 Traffic signs: default powers.

(1) If a highway authority, bridge authority or authority to whom section 56A of this Act applies fail to comply with any direction given under section 55(2) or 61 of this Act, the appropriate Minister may himself carry out the work required by the direction; and the expense incurred by him in so doing shall be recoverable by him from the authority and, in England or Wales, shall be so recoverable summarily as a civil debt.

(2) Any such direction as aforesaid—

(a) if relating to a road or bridge in England or Wales, shall be enforceable on the application of the appropriate Minister by mandamus;

(b) if relating to a road or bridge in Scotland, shall be enforceable by order of the Court of Session on the application by the Lord Advocate under section 91 of the [1868 c. 100.] Court of Session Act 1868.

(3) If a highway authority fail to comply with any direction under section 56(2) of this Act the Greater London Council may carry out the work required by the direction, and the expense incurred by that Council in so doing shall be recoverable summarily as a civil debt from the authority.

63 Power to enter on land.

A highway authority, bridge authority or authority to whom section 56A of this Act applies or the appropriate Minister may enter any land and exercise such other powers as may be necessary for the purpose of the exercise and performance of their powers and duties of placing, replacing, converting and removing traffic signs or their powers and duties under section 61 of this Act.

64 Traffic signs: modifications as respects trunk roads.

In relation to a trunk road—

(a) section 55(1) of this Act shall have effect with the omission of references to directions, and

(b) the provisions of this Act relating to directions for the placing, replacing, conversion and removal of traffic signs, notices, objects or devices shall not apply except in relation to a bridge repairable by a person other than the Minister or a Secretary of State.

65 Traffic signs: modifications as respects roads where parking permitted without lights.

(1) In relation to a road with respect to which an exemption under section 10(1)(c) of the [1957 c. 51.] Road Transport Lighting Act 1957 has effect (whether absolutely or subject to conditions), the power conferred by section 55(1) of this Act of placing traffic signs indicating the existence of the exemption shall, if the local authority for the area in which the road is situated are not the highway authority for the road, be exercisable by the local authority with the consent of the highway authority; and the power conferred by section 55(2) of this Act and by section 61 thereof of giving to the highway authority directions for the replacing of a traffic sign by, or its conversion into, a sign of another type or character or for the removal of a traffic sign or other object or device shall include power to give such directions to the local authority in relation to a traffic sign, object or device placed by them on or near any such road.

(2) In this section " local authority " means, as respects England and Wales, the council of a county borough, county district or London borough or the Common Council of the City of London, and, as respects Scotland, a county council or town council.

66 Traffic signs: modifications as respects cattle-grids.

(1) As respects traffic signs relating to a cattle-grid provided in England or Wales under the [1950 c. 24.] Highways (Provision of Cattle-Grids) Act 1950 or the [1959 c. 25.] Highways Act 1959 for a highway not being for the purposes of the said Act of 1959 a highway maintainable at the public expense, or to a by-pass so provided for use in connection with such a cattle-grid, " highway authority " in sections 55, 61, 62(1) and 63 of this Act shall include the council of the county comprising the rural district, the council of the borough, or the council of the urban district, as the case may be, in which the highway is situated.

(2) As respects traffic signs relating to a cattle-grid provided in Scotland under the Highways (Provisions of Cattle-Grids) Act 1950 for a road for the maintenance or management of which no highway authority is responsible, or to a by-pass provided for use in connection with such a cattle-grid, " highway authority " in the said sections 55, 61, 62(1) and 63 shall include the appropriate authority as defined by section 1(8)(b) of that Act.

67 Construction of references to highway authorities for purposes of ss. 55 to 56A and 61 to 63.

References to a highway authority in sections 55, 56, 56A, 61, 62 and 63 of this Act shall be construed as including references to any person who, not being a highway authority, is responsible for the maintenance of a road.

68 Ministers' powers to make advances for erection, etc., of traffic signs.

(1) The appropriate Minister may, out of moneys provided by Parliament, make advances towards any expenses incurred by a council or local authority, on whom any obligation is imposed by or under this Act in relation to the erection, maintenance, alteration or removal of traffic signs, in the discharge of that obligation.

(2) An advance under this section may be either by way of grant or by way of loan or partly in the one way and partly in the other, and shall be upon such terms and subject to such conditions as the appropriate Minister thinks fit.

(3) The power of the Minister under this section to make advances towards expenses incurred in relation to traffic signs shall be exercisable with respect to any expenses incurred by the Greater London Council in relation to the erection, maintenance, alteration or removal of such signs.

(4) The power of the appropriate Minister under this section to make advances towards expenses incurred in relation to traffic signs shall be exercisable with respect to any expenses incurred under section 56A of this Act by an authority to whom that section applies or by a highway authority.