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Statutory Instruments

1999 No. 1723

ROAD TRAFFIC

The Traffic Signs General (Amendment) Directions 1999

Made

16th June 1999

Coming into force

16th June 1999

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales, acting jointly in exercise of the powers conferred by section 65(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(1), and severally as respects England, Scotland and Wales respectively in exercise of the powers conferred by section 85(2) of that Act, and of all powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby give the following Directions:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Directions may be cited as the Traffic Signs General (Amendment) Directions 1999 and shall come into force on 16th June 1999.

Amendment of Traffic Signs General Directions 1994

2.—(1) The Traffic Signs General Directions 1994(2) shall be amended as follows.

(2) After direction 14 there shall be inserted–

Speed limits of 20 miles per hour

14A.(1) The sign shown in diagram 674 may only be placed on a road if no point on any road (not being a cul-de-sac less than 80 metres long), to which the speed limit indicated by the sign applies, is situated more than 100 metres from a traffic calming feature.

(2) In paragraph (1) “traffic calming feature” means–

(a)a road hump constructed pursuant to section 90A of the Highways Act 1980(3) (“the 1980 Act”) or section 36 of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984(4) (“the 1984 Act”) and in accordance with the Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1999(5) or the Road Humps (Scotland) Regulations 1998(6);

(b)traffic calming works constructed in accordance with section 90G of the 1980 Act(7) or section 39A of the 1984 Act(8) and in accordance with the Highways (Traffic Calming) Regulations 1999(9) or the Roads (Traffic Calming) (Scotland) Regulations 1994(10);

(c)a refuge for pedestrians which was constructed pursuant to section 68 of the 1980 Act or section 27(c) of the 1984 Act after 15th June 1999 and is so constructed as to encourage a reduction in the speed of traffic using the carriageway;

(d)a variation of the relative widths of the carriageway or of any footway pursuant to section 75 of the 1980 Act or section 1(1) or 2(1) of the 1984 Act which–

(i)was carried out after 15th June 1999 for the purpose of encouraging a reduction in the speed of traffic using the carriageway; and

(ii)had the effect of reducing the width of the carriageway; or

(e)a horizontal bend in the carriageway through which all vehicular traffic has to change direction by no less than 70 degrees within a distance of 32 metres as measured at the inner kerb radius.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the distance of 100 metres shall be measured along roads to which the speed limit indicated by the sign shown in diagram 674 applies.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Larry Whitty

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

10th June 1999

Calum MacDonald

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish Office

St. Andrew’s House,

Edinburgh

15th June 1999

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Wales

Jon Owen Jones

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Welsh Office

16th June 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Directions)

These Directions amend the Traffic Signs General Directions 1994 so as to insert a new direction 14A limiting the circumstances in which the traffic sign shown in diagram 674 (entrance to 20 miles per hour speed limit zone) may be placed by a traffic authority. The sign may only be placed on a road (other than a cul-de-sac less than 80 metres long) if no point on any road, to which the speed limit indicated by the sign applies, is situated more than 100 metres from a “traffic calming feature” as defined by direction 14A(2).

(1)

1984 c. 27. Section 65(1) was substituted by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22), Schedule 8, paragraph 48. Section 85(2) was amended by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, Schedule 8, paragraph 62 and section 85(2)(a) was amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40), Schedule 4, paragraph 30. For the meaning of “the Ministers”, see section 142(1).

(2)

Part II of S.I. 1994/1519, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Directions.

(3)

1980 c. 66. Section 90A was inserted by the Transport Act 1981 (c. 56), section 32(1), Schedule 10 Part I, paragraph 2.

(4)

1984 c. 54; section 36 was amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991, Schedule 4, paragraph 38.

(6)

S.I. 1998/1448; relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1999/1000.

(7)

Section 90G was inserted by the Traffic Calming Act 1992 (c. 30), section 1(2), Schedule 1.

(8)

Section 39A was inserted by the Traffic Calming Act 1992 (c. 30), Schedule 2.

(10)

S.I. 1994/2488; relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1999/1000.