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

  • Wavetronix ‘in the box’ detection ensures cycle safety at intersections
    February 5, 2014
    Wavetronix is to carry out what it calls a first-of-its-kind installation of its SmartSensor Matrix in the city of Tustin, California for the Tustin Ranch Road Extension project. As part of the project, the city is incorporating cycle detection technology and is using Wavetronix radar in a unique ‘in-the-box detection designed to ensure that cyclists can safely pass through signal-controlled intersections before the light changes to red. SmartSensor Matrix is able to detect cycles and register them
  • Rethink required to reduce road transport’s environmental impact
    March 15, 2016
    Against a background of a renewed focus on limiting the rise in average temperatures, Colin Sowman looks at a project that is taking a holistic approach to the environmental impact and safety of road transport. At the COP21 meeting in Paris last December, almost 200 nations agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to keep the rise in global temperatures to 2°C) compared with pre-industrial levels. The transportation sector is a major contributor to the production of CO2, one of the main green
  • Clearview provides wireless charging for UK's North East region
    March 7, 2018
    Clearview Intelligence's (Clearview) M100 product range will be used on traffic signal controls managed by Newcastle City Council as well as those around the UK's North East region, following a tender issued by Gateshead Council. The technology will provide wireless vehicle detection with the intention of reducing roadworks and cutting congestion and providing safer working environments for highway engineers. The solution is said to offer a cost-effective alternative to inductive loops. It features a sma
  • A new era for England’s major roads
    March 26, 2015
    Highways England, the government-owned company which will deliver the largest investment in England’s major roads in a generation, officially launches next week. The company, which replaces the Highways Agency from 1 April, will invest US$16 billion in delivering a raft of improvements on England’s motorways and major A roads making roads even safer, improving traffic flow and reducing congestion. The improvements over the first five years of operation include: 112 major improvements, including 15 sma