Page:Report of the Traffic Signs Committee (1963).pdf/50

 understood by visitors as well as by our own people. We thus recommend that existing signs be replaced by those shown at figures 109, 110 and 111, the symbol of a male or female figure being used only where a distinction on the sign is necessary.

It would be helpful to road users if the signs were associated with parking signs where lavatories are near to parking places, for it is often necessary to find a car park before one can use a lavatory.

176. We recommend no change in these signs which are of concern only to those wishing to find their way to the establishment named on the sign.

177. We think these signs adequate and recommend no change. The criterion for their use should be that the monument concerned is of considerable public interest and also that it is in the ownership or care of the Government.

We have considered whether signs on the highway should be prescribed or authorised for historic or otherwise notable houses in private ownership. It would be difficult to prevent proliferation of signs if all these places were permitted to have signs on the highway. We understand that for these reasons it has been the policy of the Departments to refuse to authorise such signs and we think this policy should be maintained. The requirements of tourism and travel can, we think, be adequately served by the provision of maps, guide books, leaflets, etc. indicating where these places are to be found : also by advertisements off the highway if the importance of the place is such that these can be conceded by the local planning authority responsible for authorising advertisements. Many well known or historic houses are already indicated in this manner.

Signs indicating National Trust properties are of a special category as the organisation is of national importance. We recommend that these signs continue to be authorised in strictly limited numbers.

178. We recommend adoption of the sign at figure 112 which accords with the Protocol.

It is at present not clear to drivers what action they are supposed to take when they see a hospital sign. We therefore suggest that it is made clear in the Highway Code or other publicity that the action required is not only to take additional care but also to avoid all unnecessary noise.

179. There is at present no uniformity of design for direction signs to railway stations, docks, bus stations, police stations, hospitals and cathedrals. The Regulations provide that where the station is one belonging to British Railways the sign may be in the colours customarily used by that body in the Region concerned. A number of signs indicating the direction to police stations which are located off main roads have been authorised, the words 'Police station' (with a directional arrow) being in white upper-case lettering on a blue rectangular background. Other signs seem often to have been erected by the organisation concerned.