Page:UK Traffic Signs Manual - Chapter 3 Regulatory Signs. 2008 (Second Impression 2008).pdf/37

 school buses and tour operators. The prohibition will also apply to mini-buses (public or private) that have 10 or more seats (including the driver's seat). There might therefore be exceptions to the prohibition. The sign to diagram 952 may be used with a supplementary plate to either diagram 620 (Except for access) or 954.2 (Except local buses). The latter is appropriate where the order applies to a local bus route and it is required to prohibit other buses (e.g. where the road might be used as a short cut to a tourist destination that attracts a large number of tour buses). The permitted variants of diagram 620 that would be appropriate for a bus prohibition are:

(i) Except for access

(ii) Except permit holders (with or without an identifier)

(iii) Except local buses

(iv) Except for access to off-street premises.

"Except local buses" is the same legend as diagram 954.2, although diagram 620 allows the addition of times, days and months, whereas diagram 954.2 does not. "Except permit holders" would be appropriate for school buses and other buses entitled to use the route. To aid enforcement, an identification code could be displayed in a prominent position on the vehicle. "Except for access to off-street premises" might apply to a bus garage on the road where it is desirable to keep the number of vehicles to a minimum by prohibiting buses not using the garage.

The sign to diagram 622.1A is used to give effect to an order prohibiting goods vehicles with a plated maximum gross weight exceeding that shown on the sign (indicated in tonnes). The restriction applies to such vehicles even if they are unladen or they are the towing tractors of articulated vehicles and in these conditions their weight is below that shown on the sign. This sign is used when goods vehicles are prohibited for environmental reasons, e.g. where roads are narrow and unsuitable for large vehicles, or to protect residents from the nuisance caused by lorries in residential streets. The sign is not used for structural limits, such as those to protect weak bridges (see paras 5.31 to 5.33).

The sign to diagram 622.1A may indicate 7.5 or 18 tonnes. 7.5 tonnes is the more common weight limit to be signed as this includes all heavy goods vehicles with the rear red and yellow markings (including LONG VEHICLE). This aids vehicle recognition for enforcement purposes. The larger vehicle of 18 tonnes is one of the sizes included in the Departmental Standard BD 21/01 "The Assessment of Highway Bridges and Structures" (see para 1.3) and is the heaviest rigid vehicle that may be driven on two axles, again making recognition and enforcement easier.

As this is an environmental weight limit there may be exceptions, in which case a plate to diagram 620 would be used with diagram 622.1A. The appropriate permitted variants of diagram 620 are:

(i) Except for access

(ii) Except for loading

(iii) Except for access to off-street premises.

Times, days and months may be added to the plate where the lorry ban does not apply at all times or where the exceptions apply only at certain times and not for the full duration of the prohibition.

Where a road is prone to ice or snowdrifts during most winters, an order can be made to prohibit goods vehicles for safety reasons when traffic signs are displayed. In this case the sign to diagram 622.1A should be supplemented by the "Ice" plate to diagram 554.3, varied to "Snowdrifts" if appropriate (see Chapter 4, paras 11.7 and 11.8). 35