S.I. No. 273/1998 - Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998

S.I. No. 273 of 1998.

ROAD TRAFFIC (SIGNS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1998

In exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government by section 5 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961), section 95 of the said Act (as amended by section 6 of the Road Traffic Act, 1968 (No. 25 of 1968) and by section 37 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994 (No. 7 of 1994)), which powers were delegated to me by the Environment and Local Government (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 1997 ( S.I. No. 427 of 1997 ), I, Robert Molloy, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, hereby make the following Regulations:—

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998.

(2) These Regulations and the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations, 1997 may be construed as one and cited together as the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations, 1997 and 1998.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of November, 1998.

3. In these Regulations:—

"the Principal Regulations" means the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations, 1997 ( S.I. No. 181 of 1997 ).

4. Sub-article (1) of article 3 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution of the following for the definition of "cycle track":—

"'cycle track' means part of a road, including part of a footway or part of a roadway, which is provided primarily for the use of pedal cycles;".

5. The following shall be substituted for sub-article (4) of article 6 of the Principal Regulations:—

"(4) Traffic sign numbers RUS 011, RUS 012, and RUS 013 may be accompanied by a rectangular plate which shall be placed below the sign and on which may be shown in black letters on a white background,

(a) the message 'Except Buses and Taxis — Ach Amháin Busanna agus Tacsaithe', to indicate that the prohibitions indicated by the said signs do not apply in the case of omnibuses and taxis; or

(b) the message 'Except Cyclists — Ach Amháin Rothaithe', to indicate that the prohibitions indicated by the said signs do not apply in the case of cyclists; or

(c) the message 'Except Buses, Taxis, and Cyclists — Ach Amháin Busanna, Tacsaithe agus Rothaithe', to indicate that the prohibitions indicated by the said signs do not apply in the case of omnibuses, taxis, and cyclists.".

6. The following article shall be substituted for article 21 of the Principal Regulations:—

"21. (1) Traffic sign number RRM 017 shall —S

(a) indicate the point beyond which traffic shall not proceed when stopping in compliance with a road regulation, and

(b) consist of a continuous white line, not less than 200 millimetres and not more than 250 millimetres wide.

(2) Subject to sub-article (3), where traffic sign RRM 017 is provided in the case of a one way roadway, it shall extend across the full width of the roadway and, in any other case it shall extend across the roadway from the left edge to the centre thereof.

(3) Where traffic sign number RRM 017 is provided at a junction which is approached by a cycle track or cycle tracks, a second such traffic sign may be provided in advance of, and parallel to, the traffic sign at the junction but shall not cross the cycle track or cycle tracks".

7. The following shall be substituted for paragraph (b) of article 22 of the Principal Regulations:—

"(b) consist of a broken white line consisting of segments approximately 150 millimetres wide, 300 millimetres long and 300 millimetres apart in the case of a cycle track, and in any other case not less than 200 millimetres and not more than 250 millimetres wide, 500 millimetres long and 500 millimetres apart, and extending, in the case of a one-way roadway or a cycle track across the full width of the roadway or cycle track, and in any other case across the roadway from the left hand edge to the centre thereof.".

8. The following shall be substituted for article 23 of the Principal Regulations:—

"23. Traffic sign number RRM 019 shall —

(a) indicate that traffic is prohibited from entering the roadway at the entrance to which it is provided, save for pedal cycles entering a cycle track provided on the roadway, and

(b) consist of a continuous white line and a broken white line parallel thereto and approximately 300 millimetres therefrom, extending transversely across the entrance to a roadway or, where a cycle track is provided on the roadway, extending across the roadway from the right hand edge of the cycle track, each line being approximately 200 millimetres wide and the broken line consisting of segments approximately 1 metre long and spaced approximately 1 metre apart.".

9. The following shall be subsitituted for article 26 of the Principal Regulations:—

"26. (1) Traffic sign number RRM 022 or traffic sign number RRM 023 shall indicate the right hand edge or the right and left hand edges of a cycle track.

(2) Traffic sign number RRM 022 shall consist of a continuous white line approximately 100 millimetres or 150 millimetres wide.

(3) Traffic sign number RRM 023 shall consist of a broken white line consisting of segments not less than 100 millimetres and not more than 150 millimetres wide, approximately 750 millimetres long and spaced approximately 750 millimetres apart.".

10. The following article shall be inserted after article 36 of the Principal Regulations:—

"36A. (1) Traffic sign numbers RTS 006 and RTS 007 shall, by mechanical means, control the crossing of a road by cyclists.

(2) Traffic sign number RTS 006 shall consist of a set of two lamps, which shall comply with the following conditions:

(i) it shall face the cyclists whose movements it is intended to control;

(ii) one lamp shall show, when lit, a figure of a cyclist in green on a black background, indicating that cyclists may cross the road;

(iii) the lamp referred to in paragraph (ii) may be illuminated on an intermittent basis to indicate that cyclists already in the course of crossing the road may continue to do so, but, otherwise, cyclists shall not cross the road;

(iv) the other lamp shall show, when lit a figure of a cyclist in red on a black background, indicating that cyclists shall not cross the road;

(v) the lamps shall be arranged vertically, that showing a red light, when lit, being placed above the other;

(vi) each lamp shall be separately illuminated, and the diameter of the lens thereof shall be between 200 millimetres and 215 millimetres;

(vii) the centres of the lenses of the lamps shall be not more than 700 millimetres apart;

(viii) each lamp shall be lighted and extinguished in turn, at intervals determined by an automatic or manually operated device;

(ix) the lower edge of the lower lamp shall be not less than 2.1 metres and not more than 3.05 metres above the surface of the ground in the immediate vicinity.

(3) Traffic sign number RTS 007 shall consist of a set of three lamps which shall comply with conditions (i), (vi), (vii), and (viii) of sub-article (2) and with the following conditions:—

(i) one lamp, when lit, shall show a figure of a cyclist in green on a black background, indicating that cyclists may cross the road;

(ii) a second lamp, when lit, shall show a figure of a cyclist in amber on a black background, indicating that cyclists may not cross the road unless they had commenced to do so while the lamp described in paragraph (i) was lit;

(iii) a third lamp, when lit, shall show a figure of a cyclist in red on a black background, indicating that cyclists shall not cross the road;

(iv) the lamps shall be arranged vertically, that showing a red light, when lit, being uppermost, and that showing a green light, when lit, being lowest;

(v) the lower edge of the lowest lamp shall be not less than 2.1 metres and not more than 3.05 metres above the surface of the ground in the immediate vicinity.".

Dated this 31st day of July, 1998.

Robert Molloy

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations, 1997 to provide for new regulatory traffic signs in connection with the provision of certain road facilities for pedal cyclists.