Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 16th March, 2012.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 3 and 35 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994 (No. 7 of 1994), 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 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 (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

(2) The Collective Citation "Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 to 2012" include these Regulations.

2. These Regulations come into operation on 1 April 2012.

3. The Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 ( S.I. No. 182 of 1997 ) are amended by substituting for Regulation 33(1)(d) the following:

"(d) drive a vehicle of a class for which an ordinary speed limit of not more than 90 kilometres per hour is prescribed by regulations under sections 3 and 4 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 in the traffic lane nearest the right hand edge of a carriageway having more than one traffic lane except where it is necessary to proceed in that lane due to an obstruction or because another lane or lanes is or are for the time being closed to traffic."

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

9 March 2012.

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 amend the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 ( S.I. No. 182 of 1997 ) for the purposes of:

-� restricting Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) from driving in the outside lane of a motorway except where it is necessary to proceed in that lane due to an obstruction or because another lane or lanes is or are being closed to traffic.