Road Traffic Act, 1933

Bye-laws in relation to the movements of large public service vehicles.

118.—(1) The Commissioner may, with the consent of the Minister, and after consultation with the local authority concerned make in respect of any specified area bye-laws for all or any of the following purposes, that is to say:—

(a) appointing the places in such area which may be used as stands or starting places (in this section referred to as appointed stands) for large public service vehicles;

(b) appointing the time during which such vehicles may remain at such appointed stands;

(c) appointing the number of such vehicles which may stand at each such appointed stand;

(d) enforcing order at appointed stands and at the starting points and on the routes of any such vehicles;

(e) reserving particular appointed stands for the use of all large public service vehicles plying upon particular routes;

(f) excluding from appointed stands all persons and vehicles except the persons and vehicles for whose use such stands are reserved;

(g) prohibiting large public service vehicles from using any places in such area as stands or starting places except in accordance with such regulations;

(h) preventing such vehicles from standing or stopping at specified places in such area either generally or during particular hours;

(i) preventing such vehicles from carrying passengers from any depôt or stand in any specified place in such area either generally or during particular hours;

(j) appointing the points within such area (other than appointed stands) at which such vehicles may stop and the time during which they may stop for the purpose of taking up or setting down passengers, and for preventing such vehicles from stopping for such purposes elsewhere than at such points or longer than the time so appointed.

(2) Different bye-laws may be made under this section in relation to different kinds of large public service vehicles but no differentiation shall be made in such bye-laws between large public service vehicles of the same class owned by different persons.

(3) Whenever a large public service vehicle is driven, stopped or otherwise used in contravention of a bye-law made under this section, the owner of such vehicle and also the driver thereof shall each be guilty of an offence under this sub-section and shall on summary conviction thereof be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(4) Every person who does any act (whether of commission or omission) which is a contravention of a bye-law made under this section and is not an offence under the foregoing sub-section of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this sub-section and shall on summary conviction thereof be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(5) Where a person charged with an offence under sub-section (3) of this section is the owner of the vehicle in respect of which such offence is alleged to have been committed, it shall be a good defence, to such charge for such person to prove that on the occasion on which such offence is alleged to have been committed the driver of such vehicle either was not authorised by such owner to drive such vehicle at all on that occasion or did the act alleged to constitute such offence in contravention of the express orders of such owner.

(6) Where a person charged with an offence under sub-section (3) of this section was, on the occasion on which such offence is alleged to have been committed, the servant of the owner of the vehicle in respect of which such offence is alleged to have been committed, it shall be a good defence to such charge for such person to prove that in acting in the manner alleged to constitute such offence he was acting in obedience to the express orders of such owner.