Skip to main content

New changes could cut Britain's 4.6 million road signs

New plans to allow local councils in Great Britain the freedom to cut down the number of road markings and signs have been announced by Roads Minister Robert Goodwill. The changes are included in a new consultation which also contains proposals for clearer road markings and new low-level signals for cyclists which will help improve safety on the roads.
May 2, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
New plans to allow local councils in Great Britain the freedom to cut down the number of road markings and signs have been announced by Roads Minister Robert Goodwill.
 
The changes are included in a new consultation which also contains proposals for clearer road markings and new low-level signals for cyclists which will help improve safety on the roads.
 
The proposals will reduce the number of signs that the 1837 Department for Transport will need to authorise and streamline the approval process for councils, cutting regulation.
 
Announcing the plans, Goodwill said: "The number of signs has soared from two million in 1993 to over 4.6 million today. This is causing unnecessary clutter in our towns and cities. The proposed changes will mean greater flexibility for councils to cut the number of signs, whilst ensuring consistency and making sure our roads are even safer for cyclists and motorists."
 
The changes will mean road users will have signs that are easier to understand and could cut clutter on the roads. The proposals will also look to relax regulations for parking bays and yellow-box junctions to give local councils greater flexibility in designing road layouts and markings.
 
The Department for Transport also plans to introduce a range of measures to help local authorities make roads safer for cyclists and encourage more people to take to two wheels. These include: bigger cycle boxes at traffic lights to make it safer for cyclists at junctions; low-level traffic light signals and filters that give cyclists a 'head start' on other traffic; the roll-out of shared crossings for pedestrians and cyclists which allow those on a bicycle to CROSS the road safety; and removing the 'lead-in' lanes at advance stop lines, which force cyclists to enter a cycle box alongside the kerb.
 
The Department has worked closely with local councils, traffic authorities, sign makers and consultants to revise the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD), which offers clear guidance to local councils on road signs and makings.
 
As part of the consultation, the Department is also holding nine events across Great Britain to explain the improvements and proposed changes to over 700 practitioners.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Voting for change - the democratisation of transportation
    December 8, 2014
    Contra Costa is using an innovative planning method to gather suggestions and craft future transportation spending plans. Public opinion in matters relating to transport rarely exceeds complaints about congestion on the roads, crowded metros, slow buses with ‘exorbitant’ fares or perhaps enforcement cameras.
  • Government triples road funding
    February 12, 2014
    The UK government is tripling funding on the road network over the next eight years with more than US$40 billion to be spent on upgrading and improving the network until 2021. By the end of the next parliament, the government will be spending US$5 billion each year on improvements and maintenance for the strategic network alone. This locked-in funding commitment will support nearly 30,000 new jobs across the construction sector and at the same time deliver a safer, more sustainable road network that is fit
  • Evo 1 gets Traffic Group on the move
    July 1, 2022
    AutoGreen has also been incorporated as standard and now supports pedestrian crossings
  • 20mph to be new limit in Wales
    July 14, 2022
    Welsh government move receives cross-party support to create lower default speed limit