Road Traffic Act, 1933

Restriction of omnibuses to approved roads.

119.—(1) The Minister may approve of any particular road as a road upon which large public service vehicles or any particular class of such vehicles may be used as omnibuses and may attach to such approval such conditions in relation to the user of such road as he may think fit.

(2) Before approving of a particular road under the foregoing sub-section the Minister shall consult the Commissioner and also the county surveyor of every county through which such road passes, the council of every county borough, borough and urban district through which such road passes, and the town commissioners of every town through which such road passes, and shall consider any representations made to him by such persons and bodies in relation to such proposed approval.

(3) Any road included in a route upon which any person is at the commencement of this section authorised by a licence issued under the Road Transport Act, 1932 (No. 2 of 1932), to carry on a passenger road service consisting of a service of omnibuses shall be deemed to be a road approved of by the Minister under this section as a road upon which large public service vehicles may be used as omnibuses.

(4) The Minister may at any time withdraw or modify an approval given or deemed to have been given by him under this section in respect of any road, but shall not make without previous consultation with the Minister for Industry and Commerce any such withdrawal or modification in respect of a road which is for the time being included in a route upon which any person is authorised by a licence issued under the Road Transport Act, 1932 (No. 2 of 1932), to carry on a passenger road service consisting of a service of omnibuses.

(5) Whenever a large public service vehicle is used as an omnibus on a road which is not for the time being approved of or deemed to have been approved of by the Minister under this section as a road upon which large public service vehicles generally or large public service vehicles of a class which includes such first-named vehicle may be used as omnibuses or is so used on a road which is for the time being so approved in a manner which is a contravention of or not in accordance with a condition attached to such approval, the owner of such vehicle shall (notwithstanding the possession of any licence or permit issued under any other Act) be guilty of an offence under this section and shall on summary conviction thereof be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.