STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS

S.I. No. 97 of 2003

ROAD TRAFFIC (SIGNS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2003

Dublin

Published by the Stationery Office

S.I. No. 97 of 2003

Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

I, Séamus Brennan, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 5 and 95 (as amended by section 37 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 ( No. 7 of 1994 )) of No. 24 of 1961 ), and the National Roads and Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Public Enterprise (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 305 of 2002 )), hereby make the following regulations:

1.   (1)  These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 2003.

(2)  The Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 and 1998 and these Regulations may be cited together as the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 to 2003 and shall be construed together as one.

2.   (1)  In these Regulations -

“Principal Regulations” means the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 ( S.I. No. 181 of 1997 );

“Regulations of 1998” means the Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 ( S.I. No. 273 of 1998 );

“light rail vehicle” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 (1) of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 ( No. 55 of 2001 );

“light railway” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 (1) of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 ;

(2)  In these Regulations, unless otherwise indicated -

(a)  a reference to an Article or to a Schedule is to an Article of or a Schedule to these Regulations, and

(b)  a reference to a sub-article is a reference to the Article in which the reference occurs.

Speed limit sign for light rail vehicles

3.   (1)  A speed limit sign for a light rail vehicle shall consist of a diamond shape with a black border on a white background, and with appropriate figures to indicate the relevant speed limit shown in black, and shall indicate that a speed limit prescribed in regulations made under section 54 of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 in relation to a public road or part of a public road applies to a light rail vehicle.

(2)  The following shall be as set out in Schedule 1 -

(a)  the dimensions and design of the sign to which sub-article (1) applies;

(b)  the figures to be used on such signs;

(c)  the sign number applying to such signs.

Light rail vehicle stop sign and stop line

4.   (1)  Traffic sign number RUS 034 shall --

(a)  indicate to a light rail vehicle to stop and not to proceed until it is safe to do so, and

(b)  consist of a diamond shape with a black border on a white background and crossed horizontally by a black bar.

(2)  The dimensions and design of the sign to which sub-article (1) applies shall be as set out in Part 1 of Schedule 2.

(3)  Traffic sign number RRM 031 (tram stop line) or RRM 017 (stop line) shall indicate the point beyond which a light rail vehicle shall not proceed when stopping in compliance with traffic sign number RTS 008 or RTS 012 or RUS 034 and the associated road regulation.

(4)  The dimensions and design of traffic sign number RRM 031 (tram stop line) shall be as set out in the diagram contained in Schedule 6.

Light rail vehicle yield sign

5.  (1)  Traffic sign number RUS 035 shall --

(a)   indicate to a light rail vehicle that it shall yield right of way to another light rail vehicle or to traffic on a road ahead, and

(b)   consist of a diamond shape with a black border on a white background with a black legend indicating an inverted equilateral triangle.

(2)  The dimensions and design of the sign to which sub-article (1) applies shall be as set out in Part 2 of Schedule 2.

6.   In Article 8 of the Principal Regulations a reference to traffic does not include a reference to a light rail vehicle.

Tram lane

7.   (1)  Traffic sign number RUS 036 or RUS 037 shall, in association with traffic sign number RRM 032, indicate a tram lane.

(2)  Traffic sign numbers RUS 036 and RUS 037 shall consist of a blue rectangle with appropriate symbols or letters and borders shown in white.

(3)  The content, design and dimensions of traffic sign numbers RUS 036 and RUS 037 shall be as set out in Schedule 3.

(4)  Traffic sign number RRM 032 referred to in sub-article (1) shall consist of a continuous white line, or lines, 250 millimetres wide, save where one edge of the tram lane coincides with the centre line of a roadway between the tram lane and an adjoining traffic lane.

Pedestrain and other prohibitions/restrictions in association with a light railway

8.   (1)  In Article 6 of the Principal Regulations a reference to a vehicle shall be construed as including a reference to a light rail vehicle.

(2)  Article 6 (as amended by Article 5 of the Regulations of 1998) of the Principal Regulations is amended -

(a)  by inserting after paragraph (d) of sub-article (1) the following:

“(e)    that a pedestrian shall not proceed past a certain point on a road or a part of a road upon which there is a light railway at which the traffic sign has been provided.”, and

(b)  by inserting after paragraph (c) of sub-article (4) the following:

“(d)   the message “Except Trams -- Ach amháin Tramanna”, to indicate that the prohibitions indicated by those signs do not apply in the case of light rail vehicles and, in the case of traffic sign number RUS 011, that the street or part thereof is a tram-only street; or

(e)     the message “Except Trams and Access -- Ach amháin Tramanna agus Rochtain”, to indicate that the prohibitions indicated by those signs do not apply in the case of light rail vehicles and access.”.

(3)  The Second Schedule of the Principal Regulations is amended by the addition of traffic sign number RUS 038 and associated content, design and dimensions, as set out in Schedule 4.

Tram Signals

9.   The following is inserted after Article 36A (inserted by Article 10 of the Regulations of 1998) of the Principal Regulations:

“36B   (1)  Traffic sign numbers RTS 008, RTS 009, RTS 010, RTS 011 and RTS 012 shall, by mechanical or electrical means, control the passage of a light rail vehicle.

(2)  Traffic sign numbers RTS 008, RTS 009, RTS 010, RTS 011 and RTS 012 shall consist of a sign the content, design and dimensions of which shall be as set out in Schedule 5 and which shall comply with the following conditions:-

(i)   the sign shall face the light rail vehicle it is intended to control;

(ii)  the sign shall show a white light when lit;

(iii) the sign shall be separately illuminated, and the diameter of the sign face thereof shall be between 295 millimetres and 305 millimetres;

(iv) the lower edge of the sign face shall be not less than 2.1 metres above the surface of the ground in the immediate vicinity.

(3)  Traffic sign number RTS 008 shall show, when lit, the aspect of a horizontal white line on a black background, indicating that a light rail vehicle may not proceed beyond the traffic sign and associated stop line (traffic sign number RRM 031 or traffic sign number RRM 017), if provided in association with the sign.

(4)  Traffic sign number RTS 009 shall show, when lit, the aspect of a vertical white line on a black background, indicating that a light rail vehicle may proceed beyond the traffic sign and associated stop line (traffic sign number RRM 031 or traffic sign number RRM 017), if provided in association with the sign.

(5)  Traffic sign numbers RTS 010 and RTS 011 shall show, when lit, the aspect of a diagonal white line on a black background, indicating that a light rail vehicle may proceed to the left in the case of traffic sign number RTS 010 or to the right in the case of traffic sign RTS 011, beyond the traffic sign and associated stop line (traffic sign number RRM 031 or traffic sign number RRM 017), if provided in association with the sign.

(6)  Traffic sign number RTS 012 shall show, when lit, the aspect of a plus sign on a black background, indicating that a light rail vehicle may not proceed beyond the traffic sign and associated stop line (traffic sign number RRM 031 or traffic sign number RRM 017), if provided in association with the sign, save when the light rail vehicle is so close to the sign that it cannot safely be stopped before passing the sign or stop line provided in association with the sign.

(7)  Where traffic signs numbers RTS 008, RTS 009, RTS 010, RTS 011 and RTS 012 are provided in association with traffic signs numbers RTS 001, RTS 002, RTS 003, RTS 004, RTS 006 or RTS 007, their aspect may be such that they convey to the driver of a light rail vehicle a significance which is different from that conveyed at the same time to the drivers of other vehicles by the aspect of traffic signs numbers RTS 001, RTS 002, RTS 003, RTS 004, RTS 006 or RTS 007 to which traffic sign number RTS 008, RTS 009, RTS 010, RTS 011 or RTS 012 are affixed.”.

Schedule 1

Speed Limit Sign for Light Rail Vehicles

Article 3

Sign No. RUS 033

Note:

1.   The dimensions shown for traffic sign number RUS 033 are in millimetres. The diamond shape should have a height to width ratio of 3 to 2.

2.   Where traffic sign number RUS 033 is used to indicate that a speed limit other than one of 50 kilometres per hour applies, the speed limit so prescribed in regulations shall be shown on the sign instead of 50 in the same way as the figure 50 is shown in the diagram for the sign.

3.   As an alternative a sign of the dimensions shown in brackets may be used.

Schedule 2

Stop and Yield Signs for Light Rail Vehicles

Articles 4 and 5

Part 1 -- Stop Sign

Sign No. RUS 034 (Stop Sign)

Note:

The dimensions shown for sign RUS 033 in Schedule I shall apply also to RUS 034.

Part 2 -- Yield Sign

Sign No. RUS 035 (Yield Sign)

Note:

The dimensions shown for sign RUS 033 in Schedule I shall apply also to RUS 035.

Schedule 3

Tram Lane

Articles 7

Note:

1.   The dimensions shown for traffic sign numbers RUS 036 and RUS 037 are in millimetres.

2.   As an alternative a sign of the dimensions shown in brackets may be used.

Schedule 4

Pedestrians Prohibited Sign (only to be used on a road or a part of a road upon which there is a light railway)

Article 8

Sign No. RUS 038

Note:

The dimensions shown for traffic sign number RUS 038 are in millimetres. The diameter of traffic sign number RUS 038 shall be either 600, 450 or 300 millimetres.

Schedule 5

Traffic Signals for the control of Light Rail Vehicles

Article 9

Note:

The dimensions shown are in millimetres. The diameter of the sign face shall be between 295mm and 305mm.

Schedule 6

Tram Stop Line

Article 4

Sign No. RRM 031

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

These regulations amend the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 and 1998 to provide for new regulatory traffic signs in connection with the on-street running of light rail vehicles. These regulatory signs include upright signs, road markings and traffic signals.