Traffic Regulation Orders
A General Guide
What is a Traffic Regulation Order?
A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is the statutory legal document
necessary to support any enforceable traffic or highway
measure.
When is a TRO Used?
TROs are required for many different restrictions, including:
-
Waiting and
loading
-
One-way streets
-
Speed limits
-
Weight and width
restrictions
-
Access and turning
restrictions
-
Road and footway
closures
-
Cycle and bus lanes
-
High occupancy vehicle
lanes
Why Do We Need TROs?
Since the 1930s, it has been necessary to restrict certain actions
on the highway to ensure safety, local amenity and accessiblity.
The implementation of a legal restriction ensures that the
police, or more recently in the case of waiting and loading on the
highway, the Council, can enforce it.
What Form Do They Take?
TROs are mostly permanent legal documents. However:
-
Temporary Orders (TTROs) may be used when works affecting
the highway require short-term traffic
restrictions.
- Urgency Orders may be used when works must be carried out
immediately.
- Experimental Orders are used in situations that need monitoring
and reviewing. These usually last no more than eighteen months
before they are either abandoned, amended or made
permanent.
How is a TRO Created?
A formal TRO requires a statutory procedure to be followed. This
includes:
- 1) Consultation - Following the completion of
the design, consultation must be undertaken. This will require
obtaining the views of the Emergency Services, The Freight
Transport Association, The Road Haulage Association, Local
Councillors and Parish Councils (where appropriate), and local
public transport operators. Local interest groups such as
residents, traders and community groups who are likely to be
affected by the proposals may also be consulted where appropriate.
The proposal could then be amended following
consultation.
- 2) Advertisement of the TRO then takes place.
This includes at least one notice in the local press. The Council
will usually display notices in any roads that are affected and, if
it is deemed appropriate, may deliver notices to premises likely to
be affected.For at least 21 days from the start of the notice the
proposal can be viewed at a nominated council office during normal
office hours.Objections to the proposals must be made in writing to
the address specified in the notice during this period. Substantial
objections and contentious issues are then reported to and
considered by the Executive Member for Transportation and Planning.
When considering the objections the Executive Member must decide
whether to (a) allow the scheme to proceed as advertised, (b)
modify the scheme, or (c) abandon it.
- 3) Making the Order - The TRO can then be
formally sealed providing all standing objections have been
considered. Modifications to the proposals resulting from
objections could require further consultation.This procedure can
take many months to complete and the advertising and legal fees can
be substantial. For this reason schemes requiring a TRO normally
need to be included in the annual Capital Programme and cannot be
carried out on an ‘ad hoc’ basis.
This information has been reproduced by kind permission of
Bristol City Council
