(1)Where it appears to the appropriate Minister desirable to do so in the interests of safety or for the purpose of facilitating the movement of traffic, he may, after giving public notice of his intention to do so, by order prohibit, for a period not exceeding eighteen months, the driving of motor vehicles—
(a)on all roads, or on all roads in any area specified in the order, or on all roads of any class so specified, or on all roads other than roads of any class so specified, or on any road so specified, at a speed greater than that so specified,
(b)on any road specified in the order, at a speed less than that so specified, subject to such exceptions as may be so specified,
either generally, or at times, on days or during periods specified in the order; but the provisions of any such order shall not, except in so far as may be provided by the order, affect the provisions of sections 71 to 74 of this Act.
(2)For the purposes of an order under subsection (1)(a) above roads may be classified by reference to any circumstances appearing to the appropriate Minister to be suitable for the purpose, including their character, the nature of the traffic to which they are suited or the traffic signs provided thereon.
(3)The provisions of any order under subsection (1) above may be continued, either indefinitely or for a specified period, by an order of the appropriate Minister made by statutory instrument, which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(5)Where by virtue of an order under this section a limit of speed is to be observed, then,—
(a)if it is to be observed on all roads, on all roads of any class specified in the order or on all roads other than roads of any class so specified, section 75 of this Act shall not apply in relation to that limit;
(b)if it is to be observed on all roads in any area and is indicated as respects the area as a whole by means of such traffic signs as are mentioned in the said section 75(1) at all points where roads lead into the area, the limit shall be taken for the purposes of subsection (3) of that section as so indicated with respect to all roads in the area.
(6)The first order to be made under subsection (1)(b) above shall not be made until a draft thereof has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
(7)If a person drives a motor vehicle on a road in contravention of an order under subsection (1)(b) above he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50; but a person shall not be liable to be convicted of driving as aforesaid solely on the evidence of one witness to the effect that in the opinion of the witness he was driving the vehicle at a speed less than that specified in the order.
(8)Any power conferred by this section to make an order includes power to vary or revoke such an order by a subsequent order.
(9)This section does not apply to any part of a special road which is open for use as a special road.
(10)In this section " road " means any length of road.