S.I. No. 637/2006 - Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 2006

S.I. No. 637 of 2006

Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 2006

I, Martin Cullen, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 95 (as amended by section 37 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 (No. 7 of 1994)) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and the National Roads and Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Public Enterprise (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 305 of 2002 )) and section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 2006 (No. 23 of 2006) to give further effect to Directive No. 2004/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004¹ , hereby make the following regulations:

Part 1

Preliminary and General

Citation and Collective Citation

1.         (1)        These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 2006.

(2)        The Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 to 2005, the Road Traffic (Traffic Signs - Periodic Special Speed Limits) Regulations 2005 ( S.I. No. 756 of 2005 ) and these Regulations may be cited together as the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 to 2006.

Definitions

2.         In these Regulations -

“Act of 2004” means Road Traffic Act 2004 (No. 44 of 2004);

“left hand side” and “right hand side” are determined by facing in the direction of traffic flow;

“road tunnel speed limit sign” means a traffic sign indicating a road regulation in respect of a speed limit under Part 2 of the Act of 2004 applying to a road in a road tunnel;

“prohibited vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle, other than a vehicle which is designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers, where the total number of axles is equal to or greater than the figure specified on, as the case may be, sign RUS 046 or RUS 047;

“total number of axles” in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle, means that all the wheels of the vehicle, the centres of which lie in a vertical plane extending across the full width of the vehicle at right angles to its longitudinal axis is to be regarded as forming a single axle and in determining the total number of axles, any axle attached to a vehicle or attached to any trailer drawn by the vehicle which is capable of transmitting any part of the weight of the vehicle or trailer to the surface of a road is included in the total.

Part 2

Regulatory Signs - Variable Message

Road tunnel speed limit sign

3.         (1)        A road tunnel speed limit sign, traffic sign number RVMS 100 (“sign RVMS 100”) shall, when provided at the entrance to or a road in a road tunnel -

(a)        indicate that the speed limit displayed on the sign is the speed limit that applies to the road in the tunnel for the purposes of Part 2 of the Act of 2004, and

(b)        consist of a black square which, when illuminated, shall display a red border enclosing a black disc and within that black disc, the speed limit applying in white or yellow figures, and a fixed rectangular information plate, placed above or below the black square, on which shall be shown in black letters on a white background the letters “km/h”.

(2)        Where special speed limit bye-laws apply a special speed limit under section 9(6) of the Act of 2004 in respect of the entrance to or a road in a road tunnel, sign RVMS 100 shall be provided by the country or city council concerned.

(3)        Where sign RVMS 100, is provided in a road tunnel, speed limit signs, traffic sign numbers RUS 039, RUS 040, RUS 041, RUS 042, RUS 043, RUS 044 and special speed limit traffic sign number RUS 045 are not required in that road tunnel.

(4)        Sign RVMS 100 shall be lighted and extinguished by the road authority or its agent using an automatic or manually operated device, as and when required, to display the speed limit applying.

(5)        The dimensions and design of, and the figures and letters to be used on, sign RVMS 100 are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1.

Traffic lane control sign (road tunnel and approach road)

4.         (1)        Traffic sign number RVMS 101 (“sign RVMS 101”) shall, when provided above a traffic lane on the approach road to the entrance to a road tunnel, at the entrance to a road tunnel or in a road tunnel, indicate to traffic in the traffic lane either that traffic must stop or the direction in which traffic must proceed.

(2)        Sign RVMS 101 shall face the traffic that it is intended to control and consist of a black square which, when lit, displays on a black background, the signal aspect of -

(a)        an illuminated green arrow pointing downwards in a vertical direction, to indicate that the traffic lane is open and that traffic in the traffic lane, above which such downward pointing green arrow signal is displayed, may proceed or continue to do so in that traffic lane,

(b)        an illuminated red cross, in the shape of the letter “X”, to indicate that the traffic lane is closed and that traffic in the traffic lane above which the red cross signal is displayed, shall not proceed past that sign in that traffic lane, or

(c)        an illuminated green arrow pointing to -

(i)       the left at an angle of 45 degrees from the vertical direction, to indicate that traffic, in the traffic lane above which a downward pointing inclined left green arrow signal is displayed, or

(ii)      the right at an angle of 45 degrees from the vertical direction, to indicate that traffic, in the traffic lane above which a downward pointing inclined right green arrow signal is displayed,

shall proceed to move into the adjacent traffic lane in the direction indicated by the arrow.

(3)        Sign RVMS 101 shall be lit in such a manner so as to show -

(a)        a constant red light when the red cross signal aspect referred to in subparagraph (b) of paragraph (2) is illuminated, or

(b)        a constant green light when any of the green arrow signal aspects referred to in subparagraph (a) or (c) of paragraph (2) is illuminated.

(4)        Whenever one of the signal aspects referred to in subparagraph (a), (b) or (c) of paragraph (2) is illuminated above a traffic lane none of the other signal aspects referred to in those subparagraphs shall be illuminated above that same traffic lane.

(5)        A set of 4 lanterns shall be provided in combination with sign RVMS 101 with a lantern positioned at each corner inside the black square. The lanterns, when lit, shall emit an amber light with the top and bottom lights flashing alternately when either of the signal aspects referred to in subparagraph (b) or (c) of paragraph (2) is illuminated.

(6)        The requirement that the lanterns to which paragraph (5) refers shall emit an amber light with top and bottom lights flashing alternately does not apply in respect of sign RVMS 101 where, for the time being, one or more of the lanterns has failed to light or to flash.

(7)        Sign RVMS 101 shall be lighted and extinguished by the road authority or its agent using an automatic or manually operated device, as and when required, to illuminate the appropriate signal aspect referred to in subparagraph (a), (b) or (c) of paragraph (2) to control the passage of traffic on a traffic lane in a road tunnel.

(8)        The dimensions and design of, and the various signal aspects to be illuminated on, sign RVMS 101 are set out in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

Part 3

Regulatory Signs - Upright

Prohibited vehicles

5.         (1)        Traffic sign number RUS 046 (“sign RUS 046”) shall, when provided on a public road -

(a)        indicate that the driver of a prohibited vehicle shall not proceed beyond the sign, and

(b)        consist of a white disc with a red border containing an oblique red bar and, in black, a symbol depicting a vehicle axle and the letter “x” associated with a figure signifying that the total number of axles being specified on the sign is one axle multiplied by the figure displayed.

(2)        The dimensions and design of, and the figures, letters and symbols to be used on, sign RUS 046 are set out in Part 1 of Schedule 2.

Prohibition on use by prohibited vehicles of traffic lane on the right hand side of a carriageway in a road tunnel

6.         (1)        Traffic sign RUS 047 (“sign RUS 047”) shall, when provided at the entrance to a road tunnel with a two-lane carriageway -

(a)        indicate that a driver of a prohibited vehicle shall not drive the vehicle in the traffic lane on the right hand side of the carriageway in the tunnel, and

(b)        consist of a white rectangular sign with a black border, displaying, in black, a vertical broken line to depict two traffic lanes on a carriageway with an arrow pointing straight ahead in each such lane to indicate the direction of traffic flow, and, displayed in the traffic lane on the right, a white disc with a red border containing an oblique red bar and, in black, a symbol depicting a vehicle axle and the letter “x” associated with a figure signifying that the total number of axles being specified on the sign is one axle multiplied by the figure displayed.

(2)        The dimensions and design of, and the figures, letters and symbols to be used on, sign RUS 047 are set out in Part 2 of Schedule 2.

Manual control of traffic where road works are being carried out (stop and go signs)

7.         (1)        Traffic sign number RUS 060 (“sign RUS 060”) shall, when exhibited facing the stream of traffic that it is intended to control at a place on a public road where roadworks are being carried out -

(a)        indicate that traffic must stop in advance of the sign and remain stopped so long as the sign is exhibited, and

(b)        consist of a red disc with a white border and showing, in white letters, the word “STOP”.

(2)        Traffic sign number RUS 061 (“sign RUS 061”) shall, when exhibited facing the stream of traffic that it is intended to control at a place on a public road where roadworks are being carried out -

(a)        indicate that traffic may proceed or commence to proceed, and

(b)        consist of a green disc with a white border and showing, in white letters, the word “GO” or “Téigh”.

(3)       (a)        Sign RUS 060 or RUS 061 may be exhibited, by being hand-held or by a mechanical device that is manually controlled, by an authorised person at intervals determined by the person or where traffic flow demand requires.

(b)        Where the control of the passage of traffic at a place on a public road where roadworks are being carried out requires that -

(i)       two streams of traffic stop, and remain stopped, sign RUS 060 may be mounted back-to-back with a second sign RUS 060 as a single panel and exhibited, facing the streams of traffic that it is intended to control, or

(ii)      a shuttle system be operated to only permit a single stream of traffic to proceed, in one direction at a time, two signs may be mounted back-to-back as a single panel and exhibited so as to display sign RUS 060 on one side and sign RUS 061 on the reverse and be rotated, as required, to exhibit sign RUS 060 or sign RUS 061, in either direction, facing the stream of traffic that it is intended to control.

(4)        In this Regulation -

“authorised person” means a person authorised by or behalf of a road authority or -

(a)        a person who is authorised by a direction given to the person by the local authority concerned under section 101D,

(b)        a person acting with the consent of the road authority concerned under section 13 of the Roads Act 1993 (No. 14 of 1993), or

(c)        a person acting in accordance with a traffic management plan that has been approved by the road authority concerned,

to carry out works on the public road.

“roadworks” means roadworks (within the meaning of section 101D) and includes emergency roadworks (within the meaning of that section);

“section 101D” means section 101D (inserted by section 9 of the Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act 1987 (No. 34 of 1987)) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961).

(5)        The dimensions and design of, and the letters to be used on, sign RUS 060 and sign RUS 061 are set out in Part 3 of Schedule 2.

Amendment of First Schedule to S.I. No. 181 of 1997

8.        The First Schedule (Mandatory Traffic Signs) to the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 ( S.I. No. 181 of 1997 ) is amended by substituting for the dimensions shown the following:

“(1500)

(1200)

(900)

(750)

(600)

(300)

(270)”.

SCHEDULE 1

Regulatory signs - variable message

Part 1

Sign No. RVMS 100

Road Tunnel Speed Limit Sign

Notes:

1.         The dimensions shown for Sign No. RVMS 100 are in millimetres.

2.         The dimension of the outer diameter of the roundel to be displayed on the sign is shown and alternative dimensions that may be used are shown in brackets.

3.         The black square is a blank message panel that, when illuminated, displays a red border enclosing a black disc with figures in white or yellow, to indicate the speed limit that applies.

4.         The fixed information plate displays the unit ‘km/h’ to indicate that the relevant unit of measurement is kilometres per hour. The standard length of the fixed plate equals the length of the side of the black square and an alternative dimension that may be used is shown in brackets.

Part 2

Sign Number RVMS 101

Traffic lane control sign (road tunnel and approach road)

One of the following signal aspects to be illuminated on the sign at any one time:

Length of green arrow (applies to the 3 various signal aspects) is 325mm (637mm) The red cross signal aspect fits within a square with sides of 345mm (637mm)

Notes:

1.         The dimensions shown are in millimetres.

2.         The standard dimension is shown and alternative dimensions that may be used are shown in brackets.

3.         This is a variable message sign and the 700mm black square is a blank message panel that, when illuminated, displays one of the 4 signal aspects shown in this Schedule.

4.         The lane control sign is mounted from the ceiling in a road tunnel over each traffic lane on a carriageway and, if provided on the approaches to a road tunnel, is mounted on a gantry over each traffic lane.

5.         The 4 lanterns, when lit, emit an amber light and the top and bottom lights flash alternately when the red cross aspect or the downward pointing right inclined arrow aspect or downward pointing inclined left green arrow aspect is displayed.

SCHEDULE 2

Regulatory Signs - Upright

Part 1

Sign No. RUS 046

Prohibitions and restrictions on prohibited vehicles by reference to total number of axles

Notes:

1.         The dimensions shown are in millimetres.

2.         The standard dimension for the diameter of sign RUS 046 is shown as 600mm and alternative dimensions that may be used are shown in brackets.

2.         The figure ‘3’ shown in this Schedule for sign RUS 046 is for illustration purposes only - the figure to be specified on such sign in respect of any location will be determined by the relevant road authority.

4.         Sign RUS 046 may be mounted on its own or, with an accompanying information plate or, in combination on a grey backing board as part of a larger sign in combination with other regulatory, warning or information traffic signs.

Part 2

Sign No. RUS 047

Prohibition on use by prohibited vehicles of traffic lane on the right hand side of a carriageway in road tunnel

Notes:

1.         The dimensions shown are in millimetres.

2.         The roundel shown for sign RUS 047 in this Schedule has a diameter of 900mm

3.         The figure ‘3’ shown for sign RUS 047 is for illustration purposes only - the figure to be specified on such signs in respect of any location will be determined by the relevant road authority.

4.         Sign RUS 047 may be mounted on its own or, on a grey backing board as part of a larger sign in combination with other regulatory, warning or information traffic signs.

Part 3

Notes:

1.         The dimensions shown for sign RUS 060 and sign RUS 061 are in millimetres.

2.         The standard dimension for the diameter of the signs is shown as 600mm and an alternative dimension that may be used is shown in brackets.

3.         Two plates of sign RUS 060 may be exhibited, mounted back-to-back as a double-sided panel board, when it is intended to control two streams of traffic.

4.         Whenever a manual controlled traffic shuttle system is being operated at a location where roadworks are being carried out so as to permit a single stream of traffic pass in one direction at a time, sign RUS 060 and sign RUS 061 may be mounted back-to-back on a single panel board and rotated to exhibit either sign, as appropriate, facing the stream of traffic that it is intended to control.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations (operative from 15 December 2006) prescribe a variable message speed limit traffic sign that may be used in a road tunnel to indicate the speed limit that applies, a variable message traffic lane control sign for use in a tunnel to indicate the operation of road traffic lane control regulations, a sign to indicate that use of the traffic lane on the right hand side of a two-lane carriageway in a tunnel by specified vehicles is prohibited, a sign to indicate that entry to a public road is prohibited to specified vehicles (by reference to total number of axles) and signs consisting of a STOP disc and a Go or Téigh disc to indicate, at a place on a public road where roadworks are being carried out, that a manual stop/go traffic control system is being operated.

¹ O.J. No. L167, 30.4.2004, p.39