§ 3.6 p.m.
§ LORD STRATHCARRONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether action can be taken to improve the advance warning signs before road repairs on the motorway by making them more explicit in the interests of safety.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD LINDGREN)My Lords, new signs for giving warning of road works are prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations 1964, following the recommendations of the Worboys Committee. Advice on the use of the signs will be given in the Traffic Signs Manual, which will contain a special chapter on this subject to replace the Traffic Safety Codes. Pending the issue of the Manual, authorities responsible for road works on motorways have been advised to operate the existing motorways Traffic Safety Code and to use the new-type signs if the old ones need replacement.
§ LORD STRATHCARRONMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply, may I ask whether he would not agree that in the interests of safety drivers approaching road works would like to see such notices as "Slow lane closed", "Medium lane closed" or "Fast lane closed". Furthermore, is he aware that an international type of road sign has been adopted saying that the road narrows, but that this is obviously borrowed from the two-lane motorway and does not apply when three lanes are in use?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, I think it would be difficult to adopt the first suggestion of the noble Lord. In regard to the second one, it does not matter whether it is on a single carriageway carrying two lanes of traffic or whether it is on a single carriageway carrying three lanes of traffic. One of the problems is that we are now in an interim period in which we have two sets of signs in use. One arises from the Anderson Committee, which was set up in 1957 and reported in 1960, and then we had the Safety Code established in 1962. Now we have the Worboys signs, which are symbolic, as compared with the Anderson Committee recommendations of wording, and we are just in the period in which both signs are being used. When we get the new Manual in use I hope that we shall have only one.
§ LORD STRATHCARRONMy Lords, I again thank the noble Lord for his reply, and I hope it may be possible to incorporate my suggestion in future road signs.
§ LORD LINDGRENIt will certainly be considered.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, does not another difficulty arise from the fact that signs which are perfectly legible and clear when first erected tend to get displaced in the course of road repairs? Could the noble Lord ask local authorities to carry out regular inspections to see that signs are constantly kept in order?
§ LORD LINDGRENYes, my Lords. The local authorities act as agents for the Minister on construction and works. The supervision is by the responsible engineer on the job for the local authority, and enforcement by the police doing their motorway patrols.
§ LORD SOMERSMy Lords, will the local authorities be given definite instructions as to the placing of these signs so that they will be placed far enough in advance of the actual work?
§ LORD LINDGRENEverything is included in the Manual, including prescribed distances, and, in fact, in so far as the 1962 regulations are concerned, distances and places are included in the diagrammatic regulations.