§ TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDERS FOR SPECIAL AREAS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
§
Lords Amendment No. 36: In page 29, line 20, at end insert:
( ) Subject to the following provisions of this section, section 1 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967, as applied for the purposes set out in subsection (2) above, shall have effect so as to authorise the making of traffic regulation orders as respects Crown roads, and orders (hereafter also referred to as ' traffic regulation orders') may be made under subsection (3) above as respects Crown roads.
( ) The consent of the appropriate Crown authority must be given before a traffic regulation order is made as respects a Crown road.
( ) A traffic regulation order made as respects a Crown road, notwithstanding section 97 of the said Act of 1967, shall not apply to vehicles or persons in the public service of the Crown except so far as is expressly provided in the order, and the inclusion of any such express provision in an order not made by a Minister shall require the approval of the appropriate Minister.
( ) If a traffic regulation order is or is to be made as respects a Crown road, the local authority concerned may, after consultation with the appropriate Crown authority, place and maintain, or cause to be placed and maintained, such traffic signs of any type prescribed, or authorised, under section 54 of the said Act of 1967 as the local authority may consider necessary in connection with the order.
The powers conferred by this subsection shall be exercisable subject to and in conformity with any general directions given under section 55(1) of the said Act of 1967, and any other power conferred by the said section 55 to give directions to a highway authority shall include power to give the like directions to the local authority concerned as respects the Crown road, but after consultation with the appropriate Crown authority.
( ) The appropriate Minister may, after consulting the appropriate Crown authority, give directions to the local authority concerned
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with any Crown road requiring the local authority to remove, or cause to be removed, any traffic sign, within the meaning of the said Act of 1967, or any other object or device (whether fixed or portable) for the guidance or direction of persons using roads on or in the vicinity of the road, and section 63 of the said Act of 1967 (power to enter on land) shell apply as if this subsection formed part of section 61 of that Act.
§ Mr. MacDermotI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
If it is agreeable to the House and to you, Sir, I suggest that it might be convenient if we were to discuss at the same time the following Lords Amendments:
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No. 37: In page 29, line 21, at end insert:
' the appropriate Crown authority ', in relation to any land, has the same meaning as ' the appropriate authority" as defined by section 101(11) of the Act of 1949.
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No. 38: In page 29, line 24, at end insert:
' Crown road' means a road, other than a highway, to which the public have access by permission granted by the appropriate Crown authority, or otherwise granted by or on behalf of the Crown, and
'local authority concerned', in relation to a Crown road, means the authority having power to make an order as respects that road under section 1 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967 as extended by this section,
§ The effect of these Amendments is to enable traffic regulation orders to be made on roads over Crown land in the countryside. This is a matter which has been urged upon us by a number of hon. Members, in particular by the hon. Lady the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dame Joan Vickers). We have been able to conclude the necessary consultations and obtain the necessary agreements. The Crown Departments concerned and the National Parks Commission are in favour of having these roads brought within the ambit of traffic regulation, as this should simplify the problems of traffic control. That is what these somewhat lengthy Amendments achieve.
§ Dame Joan VickersI thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for the hard 186 work which, I know, he has done on this matter. I know that the outcome will give great satisfaction particularly in Dartmoor-and other such places. It will be a great help in the future in straightening out the anomalies as between the two authorities which have existed in the past.
§ Question put and agreed to. [Special Entry.]
§ Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.