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 warning signs and on no account to prohibitory or mandatory signs. (See also paragraph 35 on temporary direction signs.)

The supply by commercial firms of traffic signs incorporating advertising matter should not be permitted.

We have not thought it appropriate for us torecommend whether responsibility for the supply and erection of approved bus stop signs should rest with highway authorities or with transport undertakings, but we see no objection to the transport undertakings providing and erecting these signs, subject always to the consent of the highway authorities.

Badges on traffic signs provided by approved organisations

34. The 1933 Committee recommended that approved organisations should be permitted to display their badge on signs which they supply and should be allowed their own choice of colour or colours for the badge and its immediate background. That recommendation and the detailed recommendations (reproduced in Appendix V of this Report) made about the positioning of the badge on the sign were accepted by the Minister. We agree with these recommendations.

Temporary direction signs provided by approved organisations

35. We consider that the authorisation permitting the erection of temporary direction signs supplied by the approved motoring and cycling organisations for the temporary diversion of traffic during road repairs, or for the direction of traffic on special occasions such as exhibitions, football matches, race meetings and so on, serves a useful purpose and should be continued. These signs are of a suitable size to incorporate lettering not exceeding 6 in. in height, and may be of the colour or colours adopted by the organisation supplying them, and may bear the badge of that organisation. We desire to emphasise, however, that they should only be used by, or with the consent of, the highway authority, that their use should be strictly limited to temporary occasions involving the special routeing of a substantial volume of traffic, and that they should be removed immediately the particular need for them has passed. In appropriate cases the police should be consulted about the route or routes over which traffic should be directed on these occasions.

(B) WARNING SIGNS

Use of symbols on warning signs

36. In Appendix VI of this Report diagrams 1 to 46 illustrate warning signs at present authorised for general use, and new or amended warning signs which we recommend should now be adopted. These signs are reviewed in detail in paragraphs 37 to 67. So far as warning signs incorporating symbols descriptive of the hazard to be apprehended are concerned we see no reason, save in exceptional cases, to alter their present over-all dimensions, or to vary the relative importance of the symbol and the explanatory lettering. We consider that generally the symbol should remain the more important feature. In certain cases where the lettering gives additional information of special value to road users (e.g. in “Low Bridge” signs where the available headroom is specified), we recommend that the size of the letters be increased to 3 in. so that reflectors may be fitted to them.

In paragraph 26 we referred to difficulties which had been experienced in obtaining a satisfactory reflected outline of some symbols by the use of reflecting lenses, and to experiments which we had caused to be made in an attempt to overcome these difficulties. As a result of these experiments our