2002 No. 143
ROAD TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES
Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002
Made 10th April 2002
Coming into operation 20th May 2002

The Department for Regional Development, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 28(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and now exercisable by it and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:
S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(1)
S.I. 1997/276 (N.I. 2)
S.R. 1999 No. 481 Article 6(d) and Schedule 4 Part IV

1 Citation and commencement
These Regulations may be cited as the Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and shall come into operation on 20th May 2002.

2 Amendments
1 The Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 shall be amended as provided by paragraphs (2) to (12).
S.R. 1997 No. 386 as amended by S.R. 1999 No. 484
2 In regulation 2 (interpretation — general) after the definition of “Pelican crossing” there shall be inserted the following definition—

““permitted taxi” means a taxi which is either—
(a) licensed to stand or ply for hire on a road or public place and subject to the By-Laws made in respect of Motor Hackney Carriages standing or plying for hire made by the Council of the County Borough of Belfast on 4th June 1951 and which meets the specifications prescribed by regulation 41 of the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995; or
S.R. 1995 No. 447
(b) licensed to operate carriage services under the road service licence provision of Part II of the Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1967.
1967 c. 37 (N.I.) to which there are no relevant amendments”

.
3 In regulation 11 (proportions and form of letters, numerals, symbols and other characters) in paragraph (1)(a) and (b) and in paragraph (4) for the words “panel of diagram 674” there shall be substituted “panels of diagrams 674 and 674.1”.
4 In regulation 21 (buses, bus lanes and bus symbols) in paragraph (2)(b) after the first occurrence of the word “cycles” there shall be inserted “, permitted taxis”.
5 In regulation 44 (road danger lamps) in paragraph (4) for the words “than 40” there shall be substituted “than 55”.
6 In Schedule 2 (regulatory signs)—
(a) in diagram 618.1 in item 3 of the table there shall be inserted the following—

“4A the blue badge symbol shown in diagram 661A”

;
(b) in diagrams 618.2, 618.3 and 618.3A in item 3 of the table there shall be inserted the following—

“3A the blue badge symbol shown in diagram 661A”

;
(c) after diagram 661 there shall be inserted the following diagram and the words specified in and under it—

“661ASame as 661
Item	
1	Regulations: None
2	Diagrams: 1028.3, 1032, 1033
3	Permitted variants: Schedule 16, items 11, 22
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 2”

(d) after diagram 674 there shall be inserted the following diagram and the words specified in and under it—

“674.1Traffic calmed area
Item	
1	Regulations: 11(1), 11(4)
2	Diagrams: None
3	Permitted variants: Schedule 16, item 18 The pictogram in the lower portion of the sign may be varied or omitted. The place name may be varied. A road safety slogan may be added below the place name. The place name and road safety slogan may be in any style of lettering. Any contrasting colours except red may be used for the place name or road safety slogan and the background of that part of the sign. Advertising material or political slogans shall not be included on the sign
4	Illumination requirements: Schedule 17, item 1”

7 In Schedule 5 (signs for bus, tram and pedal cycle facilities)—
(a) in diagram 958 in item 3 of the table for the words after “Permitted variants:” there shall be substituted the following—

“The word “taxi” may be omitted or replaced by the words “permitted taxi” in white. The cycle symbol may be omitted. The legend “local” or “& coaches” in black may be placed on the bus symbol. The diagram may be varied to show the bus lane on the right-hand side”

;
(b) in diagram 959 in item 3 of the table for the words after “Permitted variants:” there shall be substituted the following—

“The word “taxi” in white may be added alongside or below the cycle symbol; alternatively the words “permitted taxi” in white may be added below the cycle symbol. The cycle symbol may be omitted. Where the cycle symbol is omitted, the word “taxi” in white or the words “permitted taxi” in white may be added below the bus symbol. The legend “local” or “& coaches” in black may be placed on the bus symbol. The diagram may be varied to show the bus lane on the right-hand side”

.
8 In Schedule 6 (road markings) in diagrams 1028.3, 1032 and 1033 in item 2 of the tables after the words “661,” there shall be inserted “661A,”.
9 In Schedule 12 Part I (miscellaneous warning, informatory and regulatory signs for roadworks) in diagrams 7023 and 7024 in item 4 of the tables for the words “item 1” there shall be substituted “item 12”.
10 In Schedule 12 Part III (signs for lane closures and contra-flow working at roadworks) in item 4 in the table under diagram 7299 for the words “item 1” there shall be substituted “item 12”.
11 In Schedule 16 (permitted variants)—
(a) in items 11 and 22 in column (2) after the words “661,” there shall be inserted “661A,”; and
(b) in item 18 in column (2) after the words “674,” there shall be inserted “674.1,”.
12 In Schedule 17 (illumination requirements)—
(a) in item 1 in column 2—
(i) after the words “674,” there shall be inserted “674.1,”; and
(ii) the words “7023, 7024,” and “7299,” shall be deleted;
(b) in item 2 in column 2, after the words “661,” there shall be inserted “661A,”; and
(c) in item 12 in column 2, there shall be inserted at the beginning “7023, 7024, 7299,”.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Regional Development on 10th April 2002.
J. Carlisle A senior officer of the Department for Regional Development

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations further amend the Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. The principal amendments are to—
(a) regulation 2 to provide a definition of “permitted taxi” (regulation 2(2));
(b) regulation 11 to permit the bottom panel of the sign in diagram 674.1 to have proportions and form other than those shown in Schedule 13 (regulation 2(3));
(c) regulation 21(2)(b) to redefine the expression “bus lane” (regulation 2(4));
(d) regulation 44(4) (road danger lamps) to change the minimum rate of flashing of a road danger lamp showing an intermittent light from not less than 40 to not less than 55 flashes per minute (regulation 2(5));
(e) add a permitted variant to the signs in diagrams 618.1, 618.2, 618.3 and 618.3A to permit the insertion of the blue badge symbol shown in diagram 661A (regulation 2(6)(a) and (b));
(f) add a sign displaying the blue badge symbol in diagram 661A to indicate a place reserved for disabled badge holders only (regulation 2(6)(c));
(g) add a sign in diagram 674.1 to indicate a traffic calmed area (regulation 2(6)(d));
(h) add permitted variants to the sign in diagram 958 to permit the replacement of “taxi” by “permitted taxi” and to replace “coaches” by “& coaches” (regulation 2(7)(a));
(i) add permitted variants to the sign in diagram 959 to permit the addition of “permitted taxi” and to specify the position in the sign of “taxi” or “permitted taxi” (regulation 2(7)(b)); and to
(j) amend the illumination requirements for the signs in diagrams 7023, 7024 and 7299 to make it compulsory to illuminate such signs by means of internal or external lighting throughout the hours of darkness (regulation 2(9) and (10)).
These Regulations have been notified to the European Commission pursuant to Directive 98/34/EC of 22nd June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and of rules on Information Society services (O.J. No. L204, 21.07.98, p. 37-48) as amended by Directive 98/48/EC of 20th July 1998 (O.J. No. L217, 05.08.98, p. 18-26). Copies of the Directives can be obtained from The Stationery Office Bookshop, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast, BT1 4GD.