Road Traffic Act, 1961

Bye-laws for the control of traffic and pedestrians in specified area.

89.—(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 the regulation and control of traffic and pedestrians and to facilitate the movement of traffic and pedestrians.

(2) Bye-laws under this section may, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, provide for all or any of the following matters:

(a) specifying the courses to be taken by traffic proceeding along, crossing or turning into or out of public roads or any specified public road;

(b) prohibiting or restricting traffic from entering or passing along any specified public road;

(c) requiring traffic proceeding along any specified public road to proceed in a specified direction only;

(d) prohibiting the passage through any specified public road of any article exceeding a specified length or a specified breadth;

(e) regulating and controlling the conduct of pedestrians on public roads generally or any specified public road and, in particular, the crossing of the roadway of public roads or any specified public road by pedestrians;

(f) prohibiting or restricting the loading or unloading of goods on, through, or across the footway of any specified public road;

(g) prohibiting the lifting or lowering of goods by means of ropes, chains, tackles or other machinery across or over the footway of any specified public road;

(h) restricting and controlling the driving or leading of animals on public roads or any specified public road;

(i) restricting and controlling the deposit of goods on public roads or any specified public roads;

(j) restricting and controlling the washing of footways of public roads;

(k) controlling the conduct of persons waiting on public roads for transport or for admission to a building or other place or for any other lawful purpose and, in particular, requiring such persons to arrange themselves in queues and regulating the formation of the queues;

(l) prohibiting or restricting the stopping, reversing, turning or overtaking of vehicles on any specified public road.

(3) The Commissioner, with the consent of the Minister, may make, in respect of any specified area temporary rules for all or any of the purposes for which bye-laws may be made under this section.

(4) The following provisions shall have effect in relation to temporary rules under this section in respect of an area:

(a) the rules shall come into operation on a specified day not earlier than one week after the making of the rules;

(b) during that week the Commissioner shall give, in relation to the rules, such notice as may be prescribed;

(c) the rules shall have effect, unless they are sooner revoked, for the period of one year beginning on the day on which they come into operation;

(d) the rules shall operate in lieu of such (if any) corresponding bye-laws under this section as may be in force in respect of the area.

(5) Different bye-laws or rules may be made under this section—

(a) in respect of different classes of traffic,

(b) for different circumstances.

(6) In this section “traffic” does not include pedestrians.

(7) A person who contravenes a bye-law or rule under this section shall be guilty of an offence.

(8) Where a person is charged with having committed an offence under this section, it shall be a good defence to the charge for him to show that the act alleged to constitute the offence was done bona fide and reasonably for the purpose or in the course of saving or endeavouring to save some person or property from death, destruction or injury by fire, flood or other calamity.