Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 27th December, 2011.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 95 (as amended by section 78 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 (No. 25 of 2010)) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and the Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Transport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 141 of 2011 )), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 2011.

(2) The Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 to 2006 and these Regulations may be cited together as the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 to 2011.

2. The Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997 ( S.I. No. 181 of 1997 ) are amended by substituting for Article 36A (inserted by Article 10 of the Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 ( S.I. No. 273 of 1998 )) the following:

"Traffic lights for pedal cyclists

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

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

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

(b) one lamp shall show, when lit, a symbol of a pedal cycle in green on a black background, indicating that pedal cyclists may cross the road;

(c) the lamp referred to in subparagraph (b) may be illuminated on an intermittent basis indicating that pedal cyclists already in the course of crossing the road may continue to do so but otherwise pedal cyclists shall not cross the road;

(d) the other lamp shall show, when lit, a symbol of a pedal cycle in red on a black background indicating that pedal cyclists shall not cross the road;

(e) the lamps shall be arranged vertically, the lamp showing a display in red when lit being arranged above the other;

(f) each lamp shall be separately illuminated and the diameter of the lens of each shall be between 200 millimetres and 215 millimetres or between 80 millimetres and 110 millimetres;

(g) the centres of the lenses of lamps with a diameter between 200 millimetres and 215 millimetres shall not be more than 380 millimetres apart and the centres of the lenses of lamps with a diameter between 80 millimetres and 110 millimetres shall not be more than 150 millimetres apart;

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

(i) subject to subparagraph (j), when the lenses of the lamps have a diameter that is between 200 millimetres and 215 millimetres, the lower edge of the lower lamp shall not be not less than 2.1 metres and not more than 3.05 metres above the surface of the ground in the immediate vicinity and, when the lenses have diameter that is between 80 millimetres and 110 millimetres, the lower edge of the lower lamp shall be between 1.5 metres and 1.7 metres and not more than 3.05 metres above the ground in the immediate vicinity;

(j) when traffic sign RTS 006 is provided at a place where roadworks are being carried out or is provided for other temporary traffic management purposes, the lower edge of the lower lamp shall not be less than 1.1 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 and comply with conditions (a), (f), (g) and (h) of paragraph (2) and with the following conditions:

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

(b) a second lamp, when lit, shall show a symbol of a pedal cycle in amber on a black background indicating that pedal cyclists may not cross the road unless they have already begun to do so while the lamp described in subparagraph (a) was lit;

(c) when the second lamp described in subparagraph (b) is lit on an intermittent basis, it indicates that pedal cyclists may only proceed past the cycle traffic lights provided that right of way is yielded to any pedestrian who has already begun to cross the roadway or cycle track;

(d) a third lamp, when lit, shall show a symbol of a pedal cycle in red on a black background, indicating that pedal cyclists shall not cross the road;

(e) the lamps referred to in subparagraphs (a), (b) and (d) shall be arranged vertically, the lamp showing a display in red, when lit, being uppermost and the lamp showing a display in green, when lit, being lowermost;

(f) subject to subparagraph (g), when the lenses of the lamps have a diameter that is between 200 millimetres and 215 millimetres, the lower edge of the lowermost 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 and, when the lenses of the lamps have a diameter that is between 80 millimetres and 110 millimetres, the lower edge of the lowermost lamp shall be between 1.5 metres and 1.7 metres and not more than 3.05 metres above the ground in the immediate vicinity;

(g) where traffic sign RTS 007 is provided at a place where roadworks are being carried out or is provided for other temporary traffic management purposes, the lower edge of the lowermost lamp shall not be less than 1.1 metres and not more than 3.05 metres above the surface of the ground in the immediate vicinity.".

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

20 December 2011.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These Regulations prescribe the regulatory traffic signs that consist of traffic lights for pedal cyclists. These Regulations replace the existing provisions in the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations of 1997 and 1998 to set out the requirements for the provision and use of traffic lights for pedal cyclists and prescribe two sizes of lenses for the lamps instead of one as previously.