Greater London Authority Bill

Greater London Authority Bill - continued	House of Lords
PART IV, TRANSPORT - continued
Traffic control systems - continued

back to previous text

London borough councils and the London traffic control system.

236. After section 74 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 there shall be inserted-

"London borough councils and the London traffic control system.	74A. - (1) If a London borough council requests Transport for London to provide any new traffic light installations for a road in Greater London which is neither a GLA road nor a trunk road, Transport for London shall approve and carry out the work unless it considers that there are reasonable grounds for refusing to do so.
	(2) If Transport for London and a London borough council so agree, Transport for London may make a scheme transferring to the council-
	(a) any part of the London traffic control system, and
	(b) the power to maintain and operate that part of the system.
	(3) The council for a London borough may, with the approval of Transport for London, buy, own, maintain and operate new traffic light installations for any road in the borough other than a trunk road.
	(4) Where the powers conferred by subsection (2) or (3) above are exercised, the London borough council concerned shall, as respects the traffic signs comprised in-
	(a) the part of the London traffic control system transferred by the scheme under subsection (2) above, or
	(b) the traffic light installations referred to in subsection (3) above,
	be treated (to the exclusion of Transport for London) as the traffic authority for all roads in Greater London (other than trunk roads) on or near which those traffic signs are placed.
	(5) Any exercise of the powers conferred by subsections (1) to (3) above is subject to the agreement of financial arrangements between Transport for London and the council concerned.
	(6) In this section-
	"the London traffic control system" means the traffic control system which Transport for London has power to operate by virtue of the functions transferred to it by section 235 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999;
	"traffic control system" means a system for controlling the movement of vehicular traffic or of pedestrians by means of traffic light installations;
	"traffic light installations" means-
	(a) traffic signs which are light signals for controlling the movement of vehicular traffic or of pedestrians; or
	(b) any installations or apparatus used in connection with the operation of any such traffic signs.
	(7) For the purposes of this section-
	(a) the City of London shall be treated as if it were a London borough;
	(b) the Common Council shall be treated as if it were the council for a London borough; and
	(c) the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple shall be treated as forming part of the City."

Transfer of traffic control systems between Secretary of State and Transport for London.

237. After section 74A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 there shall be inserted-

"Transfer of traffic control systems between Secretary of State and Transport for London.	74B. - (1) If the Secretary of State and Transport for London so agree, the Secretary of State may make a scheme transferring to Transport for London-
	(a) the traffic control system for a trunk road in Greater London; and
	(b) the power to maintain and operate that system.
	(2) If Transport for London and the Secretary of State so agree, Transport for London may make a scheme transferring to the Secretary of State-
	(a) the London traffic control system; and
	(b) the power to maintain and operate that system.
	(3) If, in a case where a traffic control system has been transferred under this section, the transferee and the transferor so agree, the transferee may make a scheme transferring back to the transferor the system and the power to maintain and operate it.
	(4) A scheme under subsection (1), (2) or (3) above may make provision for the transferee to be treated (to the exclusion of the transferor), as respects the traffic signs comprised in the traffic control system transferred, as the traffic authority for specified roads in Greater London on or near which those traffic signs are placed.
	(5) Any exercise of the powers conferred by subsections (1) to (3) above is subject to the agreement of financial arrangements between the Secretary of State and Transport for London.
	(6) Any reference in this section to a traffic control system includes a reference to part of a traffic control system.
	(7) Expressions used in this section and in section 74A above have the same meaning in this section as they have in that section."

Traffic authority for certain traffic signs in Greater London.

238. After section 74B of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 there shall be inserted-

"The traffic authority for traffic signs.	74C. - (1) This section has effect for the purposes of any provisions of this Act relating to traffic signs.
	(2) In the application of those provisions to traffic signs in Greater London which are light signals for controlling the movement of vehicular traffic or of pedestrians, Transport for London shall at all times be deemed to be the traffic authority for all roads in Greater London other than trunk roads.
	(3) Without prejudice to the powers of the traffic authority for the road in question, Transport for London shall also be deemed to be the traffic authority for any road in Greater London for which they are not in fact the traffic authority for the purposes of the exercise by them as respects that road under section 73(1A) above of any powers exercisable by the traffic authority for that road.
	(4) Subsections (2) and (3) above are subject to any provision to the contrary made by or under section 74A or 74B of this Act."

Road safety and traffic reduction

Road safety information and training.

239. - (1) Section 39 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (powers of Secretary of State and local authorities as to giving road safety information and training) shall be amended as follows.

(2) For subsection (2) (duty of local authority to prepare and carry out measures to promote road safety etc) there shall be substituted-

	"(2) Each relevant authority-
	(a) if it is a local authority, must prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety, or
	(b) if it is Transport for London, may prepare and carry out such a programme,
	and may contribute towards the cost of measures for promoting road safety taken by other authorities or bodies."

(3) In subsection (3) (duty of local authority to carry out and act upon studies into accidents arising out of the use of vehicles on roads in their area, other than trunk roads) for the words preceding paragraph (a) there shall be substituted "Each relevant authority- ".

(4) In paragraph (a) of that subsection (the duty to carry out the studies)-

(a) after "use of vehicles" there shall be inserted-

"(i) if it is a local authority,";

(b) after "other than" there shall be inserted "GLA roads or"; and

(ii) if it is Transport for London, on GLA roads or parts of GLA roads,".

(5) After subsection (3) there shall be inserted-

	"(3A) The duties imposed by subsection (3) above are without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2) above and-
	(a) in the case of a local authority, are to be discharged in pursuance of their duty under subsection (2)(a) above; and
	(b) in the case of Transport for London, are to be discharged by exercising their powers under subsection (2)(b) above."

(6) In subsection (4) (definitions) the following definitions shall be inserted at the appropriate places-

""GLA road" has the same meaning as in the Highways Act 1980 (see sections 329(1) and 14D(1) of that Act);";

""relevant authority" means a local authority or Transport for London;."

The Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997.

240. - (1) In section 1 of the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 (interpretation) the following definitions shall be inserted at the appropriate places-

""local implementation plan", in relation to a London council, means the plan prepared by the council under section 130 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999;";

""London council" means a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London;";

""the Mayor of London's transport strategy" means the transport strategy prepared and published under section 127 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999;".

(2) Section 2 of that Act (duty of principal councils to make reports) shall be amended as follows.

(3) In subsection (3) (information or proposals which relate to levels of local road traffic and are required by guidance under subsection (6)) in paragraph (b), after "guidance under subsection (6)" there shall be inserted "or (in the case of a report prepared by a London council) directions under subsection (6A)".

(4) After subsection (4), there shall be inserted-

	"(4A) A report under this section prepared by a London council must take account of the Mayor of London's transport strategy and the council's local implementation plan; and-
	(a) any targets specified in such a report pursuant to subsection (2), and
	(b) any proposals contained in such a report pursuant to subsection (3),
	must be in conformity with that strategy and that plan."

(5) After subsection (6) there shall be inserted-

	"(6A) The Mayor of London may give directions or issue guidance to London councils in relation to any matter in relation to which the Secretary of State may issue guidance under subsection (6).
	(6B) The Mayor of London must not give any direction or issue any guidance under subsection (6A) which conflicts with guidance under subsection (6).
	(6C) A London council preparing a report under this section-
	(a) shall comply with any directions given under subsection (6A), and
	(b) shall have regard to any guidance issued under that subsection."

(6) In subsection (7)(a) (report to be sent to the Secretary of State) after "Secretary of State" there shall be inserted "and, if the council is a London council, send a copy of the report to the Mayor of London".

Prepared 30 July 1999