After section 74 of the M1Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 there shall be inserted—

“74A London borough councils and the London traffic control system.

(1)

If a London borough council requests Transport for London to provide any new traffic light installations for a road in Greater London which is neither a GLA road nor a trunk road, Transport for London shall approve and carry out the work unless it considers that there are reasonable grounds for refusing to do so.

(2)

If Transport for London and a London borough council so agree, Transport for London may make a scheme transferring to the council—

(a)

any part of the London traffic control system, and

(b)

the power to maintain and operate that part of the system.

(3)

The council for a London borough may, with the approval of Transport for London, buy, own, maintain and operate new traffic light installations for any road in the borough other than a trunk road.

(4)

Where the powers conferred by subsection (2) or (3) above are exercised, the London borough council concerned shall, as respects the traffic signs comprised in—

(a)

the part of the London traffic control system transferred by the scheme under subsection (2) above, or

(b)

the traffic light installations referred to in subsection (3) above,

be treated (to the exclusion of Transport for London) as the traffic authority for all roads in Greater London (other than trunk roads) on or near which those traffic signs are placed.

(5)

Any exercise of the powers conferred by subsections (1) to (3) above is subject to the agreement of financial arrangements between Transport for London and the council concerned.

(6)

Before Transport for London—

(a)

changes the operating cycle, or the timing of the operating cycle, of any traffic light installations provided on a road in Greater London which is neither a GLA road nor a trunk road, or

(b)

provides new traffic light installations for such a road,

Transport for London shall consult the council of the London borough in which the installations are or are to be provided.

(7)

In this section—

the London traffic control system means the traffic control system which Transport for London has power to operate by virtue of the functions transferred to it—

(a)

by section 275 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999; or

(b)

by a scheme under subsection (1) or (3) of section 74B of this Act transferring functions of the Secretary of State to Transport for London;

traffic control system means a system for controlling the movement of vehicular traffic or of pedestrians by means of traffic light installations;

traffic light installations means—

(a)

traffic signs which are light signals for controlling the movement of vehicular traffic or of pedestrians; or

(b)

any installations or apparatus used in connection with the operation of any such traffic signs.

(8)

For the purposes of this section—

(a)

the City of London shall be treated as if it were a London borough;

(b)

the Common Council shall be treated as if it were the council for a London borough; and

(c)

the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple shall be treated as forming part of the City.”