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 if considered substantial.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.

If you would like to apply for a Traffic Regulation Order then please contact council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk

 

 

 

Your rating: 

Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (11 votes)
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.