The Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations and General Directions 2026

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2026 No. 35

road traffic, wales

The Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations and General Directions 2026

Made

6 February 2026

Coming into force

11 March 2026

The Welsh Ministers, being the relevant authority, make the Regulations in Part 1 of this Instrument in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 25 and 64(1), (2) and (3) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(1) (“the 1984 Act”).

The Welsh Ministers, being the relevant authority, give the General Directions in Part 2 of this Instrument in exercise of the powers conferred by section 65(1)(2) of the 1984 Act(3).

The Welsh Ministers in respect of the Regulations in Part 1 have, in accordance with section 134(10) of the 1984 Act, consulted with such representative organisations as they thought fit and, in accordance with section 134(13) of the 1984 Act, have consulted with the Secretary of State.

The Welsh Ministers in respect of the General Directions in Part 2 have, in accordance with section 65(3ZC) of the 1984 Act, consulted with the Secretary of State.

Part 1 The Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026

Title, application and coming into force

1.—(1) The title of this Part of this Instrument—

(a) is the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026, and

(b) together with Part 2, is the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations and General Directions 2026.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 11 March 2026.

Amendments to the Traffic Signs Regulations 2016

2.  The Traffic Signs Regulations 2016(4) are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 6.

Amendment to Schedule 1

3.   In Schedule 1, in paragraph (b)(i) of the meaning of “Zebra crossing”, after “only crosses a cycle track” insert “, or which crosses a minor road in the circumstances described in paragraph 25A(2) of Part 1 of Schedule 14”.

Amendments to Schedule 14

4.    In Schedule 14, in Part 1, after paragraph 25 insert—

Zebra crossings placed across a minor road in the vicinity of a junction with a major road

25A.— (1) Sub-paragraph (2) applies where, but for this paragraph, these Regulations impose a requirement for there to be a Zebra controlled area.

(2) Where a Zebra crossing is placed across a minor road in Wales in the vicinity of a junction with a major road, no Zebra controlled area is required and a yellow globe (provided for at item 27 of the sign table in Part 2 of this Schedule) is not required.

(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2)—

(a) a minor road or a major road means a minor road or a major road for which the speed limit is 20 mph or lower;

(b) a Zebra crossing is placed in the vicinity of a junction if there is a distance of no more than 5 metres between the limits of the crossing and either—

(i) the road marking provided for at item 1 of the sign table in Part 6 of Schedule 9, or

(ii) the nearest transverse line of the road marking provided for at item 3 of the sign table in Part 6 of Schedule 9.”

5.   In Schedule 14, in the table in Part 2, at item 52, in column 4, after paragraph 9 insert—

“10.   In the circumstances described in paragraph 25A(2) of Part 1 of this Schedule, the minimum distance of 1100 millimetres between the give way line and the limits of the crossing may, if the traffic authority thinks fit, be reduced to 300 millimetres.”

6.  In Schedule 14, in Part 5, in paragraph 1—

(a) the existing provision becomes sub-paragraph (1);

(b) after that sub-paragraph, insert—

“(2) The prohibition in sub-paragraph (1) does not apply where, in the circumstances described in paragraph 25A(2) of Part 1 of this Schedule, a driver stops a vehicle for the purpose of making a turn onto the major road.”

Part 2 The Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) General Directions 2026

Title, application and coming into force

1.—(1) The title of this Part of this Instrument—

(a) is the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) General Directions 2026, and

(b) together with Part 1, is the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations and General Directions 2026.

(2) These General Directions come into force on 11 March 2026.

Amendment to the Traffic Signs General Directions 2016

2.  The Traffic Signs General Directions 2016(5) are amended in accordance with general direction 3.

Amendment to Schedule 14

3.  In Schedule 14, in Part 6, in paragraph 41—

(a) in sub-paragraph (2)(d), after “a Zebra crossing” insert “except in the circumstances described in paragraph 25A(2) of Part 1 of this Schedule”;

(b) after sub-paragraph (2) insert—

“(3) In the circumstances described in paragraph 25A(2), give way markings of the type provided for at item 54 of the sign table in Part 2 of this Schedule must be marked parallel to each side of the crossing.”

Ken Skates

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, one of the Welsh Ministers

6 February 2026

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument)

This Instrument amends the Traffic Signs Regulations 2016 and the Traffic Signs General Directions 2016, together titled the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (“the 2016 Instrument”). The amendments apply only in relation to Wales.

The 2016 Instrument sets out, among other things, the signs required for Zebra crossings and makes provision for the movement of pedestrians and vehicles at and around Zebra crossings.

The purpose of this Instrument is to make amendments to the 2016 Instrument so that, in specified circumstances in Wales, some of the requirements for Zebra crossings set out in the 2016 Instrument will not apply.

Part 1 of this Instrument contains the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2026, which amend the Traffic Signs Regulations 2016 (“the 2016 Regulations”).

Regulations 3 and 4 make amendments to the 2016 Regulations to provide that, in certain circumstances, a Zebra crossing placed on a minor road in Wales does not need to have yellow globe lights or zig-zag markings. The circumstances are that the Zebra crossing is no more than 5 metres from the junction with a major road and that the speed limit on both the minor and major road is 20 mph or lower.

Regulation 5 makes amendments to the 2016 Regulations to also allow the distance between the limits of the Zebra crossing and the give way line to be reduced in these circumstances.

Regulation 6 amends the 2016 Regulations to provide an exception to the general prohibition against a driver stopping their vehicle within the limits of a Zebra crossing.

Part 2 of this Instrument contains the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) General Directions 2026, which make amendments to the Traffic Signs General Directions 2016 to disapply, in certain circumstances, the requirement for there to be a controlled area on each side of a Zebra crossing but require give way markings to be placed on the road. The circumstances are where the Zebra crossing is placed on a minor road in Wales no more than 5 metres from the junction with a major road, where the speed limit on both roads does not exceed 20 mph.

(1)

1984 c. 27; sections 25 and 64 were amended by the Wales Act 2017 (c. 4), Part 2, section 26(3) and (4); there are other amending instruments but none are relevant to this instrument. For the definition of “relevant authority” see sections 25(7) and 64(6A) of the 1984 Act.

(2)

Section 65(1) was substituted by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22), Schedule 8, Part 2, paragraph 48(2); section 65(1) was amended by the Wales Act 2017 (c. 4), Schedule 6, Part 3, paragraph 37(2); there are other amending instruments, but none are relevant to this instrument. For the definition of “relevant authority” see section 65(5) of the 1984 Act.

(3)

See also section 40 of the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 (anaw 4) for provision about the procedure that applies to this instrument.

(4)

Part 1 of S.I. 2016/362.

(5)

Part 2 of S.I. 2016/362.