New changes could cut Britain’s 4.6 million road signs
2 May 2014 10:34 AM
Plans allowing councils
freedom to cut the number of road markings and signs have been announced by
Road Minister Robert Goodwill.
New plans to allow local
councils in Great Britain the freedom to cut down the number of road markings
and signs, were announced by Roads
Minister Robert Goodwill yesterday (1 May 2014).
The changes are included in
a new consultation which also contains proposals for clearer road
markings and new low-level signals for cyclists which will help improve safety
on the roads.
The proposals will reduce the
number of signs that the Department for Transport will need to authorise and
streamline the approval process for councils, cutting
regulation.
Roads Minister Robert Goodwill
said:
The number of signs have soared
from 2 million in 1993 to over 4.6million today. This is causing unnecessary
clutter in our towns and cities.
The proposed changes will mean
greater flexibility for councils to cut the number of signs, whilst ensuring
consistency and making sure our roads are even safer for cyclists and
motorists.
The changes will mean road users
will have signs that are easier to understand and could cut clutter on the
roads. The proposals will also look to relax regulations for parking bays and
yellow-box junctions to give local councils greater flexibility in designing
road layouts and markings.
The Department for Transport
also plans to introduce a range of measures to help local authorities make
roads safer for cyclists and encourage more people to take to 2 wheels. These
include:
- bigger cycle boxes at traffic
lights to make it safer for cyclists at junctions
- low-level traffic light signals
and filters that give cyclists a ‘head start’ on other
traffic
- the roll-out of shared crossings
for pedestrians and cyclists which allow those on a bicycle to cross the road
safety
- removing the
‘lead-in’ lanes at advance stop lines, which force cyclists to
enter a cycle box alongside the kerb
The department has worked
closely with local councils, traffic authorities, sign makers and consultants
to revise the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD), which
offers clear guidance to local councils on road signs and
makings.
As part of the consultation, the
department is also holding 9 events across Great Britain to explain the
improvements and proposed changes to over 700 practitioners. Details about the
event can be found at the Institute of Highway
Engineers.
The consultation closes on 12
June 2014.
Related traffic signs
documents