Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

14 Temporary prohibition or restriction of traffic on roads.E+W+S

(1)If a [F1highway][F1roads] authority is satisfied that traffic on a road should be restricted or prohibited, by reason that works are being or are 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 [F1highway][F1road], the authority, subject to the following provisions of this section and to sections 15 and 16 of this Act, may by order restrict or prohibit the use of that road, or of any part of it, by vehicles, or by vehicles of any class, or by pedestrians, to such extent and subject to such conditions or exceptions as they may consider necessary.

(2)A [F2highway][F2roads] authority, when considering the question of the making of an order under subsection (1) above, shall have regard to the existence of alternative routes suitable for the traffic which will be affected by the order.

(3)Subject to the following provisions of this section and to sections 15 and 16 of this Act, a [F1highway][F1roads] authority may at any time by notice restrict or prohibit temporarily the use of a road, or of any part of a road, by vehicles, or by vehicles of any class, or by pedestrians, where, owing to the likelihood of danger to the public or of serious damage to the [F1highway][F1road], it appears to them necessary that such a restriction or prohibition should come into force without delay.

[F3(3A)Subject to the following provisions of this section and to sections 15 and 16 of this Act, a highway or roads authority may also make an order under subsection (1) or issue a notice under subsection (3) above where the authority is satisfied or (as the case may be) where it appears to the authority that traffic on the highway or road should be restricted or prohibited for the purpose of enabling the duty imposed by subsection (1)(a) or (2) of section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (litter clearing and cleaning) to be discharged.]

(4)The provision that may be made by an order under subsection (1) or a notice under subsection (3) above is—

(a)any such provision as is mentioned in any of subsections (1) to (3) of section 2 of this Act, or

(b)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 pedestrians to any premises situated on or adjacent to the road, or to any other premises accessible for pedestrians from, and only from, the road.

(5)Subject to the following provisions of this section and to sections 15 and 16 of this Act, where any such order or notice is made or issued by a [F4highway][F4roads] authority (in this subsection referred to as “the initiating authority”), any such provision as is described in any of paragraphs (a) to (c) of section 2(2) or in section 2(3) of this Act may as respects any alternative road—

(a)be made by order made by the initiating authority, where that authority is the [F4highway][F4roads] authority for the alternative road;

[F5X1(b)where that authority is not the highway authority for the alternative road, and the alternative road is not a trunk road, be made by order made by the initiating authority with the consent of the highway authority for the alternative road;

X1(c)where the initiating authority is not the highway authority for the alternative road, and that road is a trunk road, be made by order made by the Secretary of State on the application of the initiating authority.]

[F5(b)where the initiating authority is not the roads authority for the alternative road (such roads authority being in this paragraph referred to as the “second authority”) and the second authority is—

(i)a local roads authority, be made by order made by the initiating authority with the consent of the second authority;

(ii)the Secretary of State, be made by order made by the second authority on the application of the initiating authority.]

(6)Subsections (1) and (2) of section 3 of this Act shall apply to an order under subsection (5) above as they apply to a traffic regulation order.

(7)An order made or notice issued under 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 (5) 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.

(8)In the case of an order made or notice issued under this section by a highway authority in Greater London, the description of statutory provision which may be suspended by the order or notice shall include any order made under section 45, 46 or 49 of this Act or any such order as is mentioned in paragraph 11(1) of Schedule 10 to this Act.

(9)In this section “alternative road”, in relation to a road as respects which an order is made under subsection (1) or a notice is issued under subsection (3) above, means a road which—

(a)provides an alternative route for traffic diverted from the first-mentioned road or from any other alternative road, or

(b)is capable of providing such an alternative route apart from any statutory provision authorised by subsection (7) above to be suspended by an order under subsection (5) above.

Editorial Information

X1S. 14(5)(b) commencing “where the initiating authority" substituted (S.) for s. 14(5)(b)(c) commencing “where that authority" by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 128(1), Sch. 9 para. 93(6)(c)(ii)

Textual Amendments

F1Words “roads" and “road" substituted (S.) for word “highway" by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 128(1), Sch. 9 para. 93(6)(a)

F2Word “roads" substituted (S.) for word “highway" by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 128(1), Sch. 9 para. 93(6)(b)

F4Word “roads" substituted (S.) for word “highway" by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 128(1), Sch. 9 para. 93(6)(c)(i)

F5S. 14(5)(b) commencing “where the initiating authority" substituted (S.) for s. 14(5)(b)(c) commencing “where that authority" by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), s. 128(1), Sch. 9 para. 93(6)(c)(ii)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)