DfT updates traffic order guidance

Traffic Orders are required to make and enforce changes to a road’s use or its design

This guidance applies to the Traffic Orders Procedure (Coronavirus) (amendment) (England) regulations 2020 (Statutory Instrument No. 536) (“the S.I.”) that came into force on 23rd May 2020. The S.I. applies to England and is temporary.

The amendments it has introduced will remain in force until 30th April 2021.

The amendments included in the S.I. are intended to speed up the time it takes for traffic authorities to make the traffic orders that are needed to put in place measures to deal with the effects of coronavirus, including the need to encourage social distancing and promote active travel, for example, walking and cycling.

“Purposes connected to coronavirus” may include measures that are made as a response to, or with the intention of mitigating risks related to, the coronavirus pandemic. For example:

• installing cycling lanes
• widening pavements
• restricting certain roads to certain types of traffic
• changing parking provisions
• reducing speed limits
• allowing trial e-scooters to use cycle lanes

This list is not exhaustive and whether the measure falls within the meaning of “purposes connected to coronavirus” will depend on the nature of the measure and the reason it is being introduced.

The S.I. relates to traffic orders, which are required to make and enforce changes to a road’s use or its design. Traffic orders can be permanent, temporary or experimental. The S.I. introduces an emergency procedure for temporary orders and amends the publicity requirements for other types of orders.

Special event orders can also be made but these are not affected by this S.I.