§ Mr. David Steelasked the Minister of Transport what is his Department's policy towards the installation of audible warning signals for pedestrians at light-controlled junctions; and whether he will amend the traffic sign regulations and general directions so that local authority approval from his Deparment for the installation of such schemes is no longer necessary.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeTrials indicate that, provided certain essential safety requirements are met, the audible pedestrian signal can be a valuable installation with pedestrian crossing signals at suitable light-controlled junctions. We are now prepared to authorise such signals if local authorities request them at sites meeting the safety requirements. We hope to proceed to prescribe the signal in regulations and so remove the need for our consent when we have had some more experience of them in use and can be satisfied that the specified safety requirements are the best possible.