§ 18. Mr. K. Thompsonasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the average delay between the application by a local authority for approval of a road traffic sign and the necessary regulations and the notification of his decision.
§ Mr. MolsonIf my hon. Friend will let me know a little more precisely the type of sign or traffic regulation order he has in mind, I will gladly send him the particulars he wants. The time taken varies so widely with the type of sign or order that any general answer would be misleading.
§ Mr. ThompsonI appreciate that, but is my right hon. Friend aware that the time for all the different kinds of signs and orders is invariably too long? Will he satisfy himself that everything is done to speed up a decision in those cases where local authorities are doing their best to promote road safety?
§ Mr. MolsonIn the case, for example, of a "Slow" sign, there is no delay whatsoever. In the case of a "Halt" sign the normal time for giving approval, if approval is given, is about two weeks. In the case, however, of traffic regulation orders it very largely depends upon the local authority; it depends also upon whether a public inquiry has to be held, and it may be anything up to two years