Traffic Signs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999
These Regulations amend the Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. The principal amendments are to—prescribe revised requirements conveyed by the mini-roundabout sign shown in diagram 611.1 so as to make it clear that a vehicle must go around the centre of a mini-roundabout unless the size of the vehicle makes it impracticable to do so (regulation 2(4));amend regulation 33 (significance of light signals) to exempt fire brigade, ambulance and police vehicles from the prohibition conveyed by the red-with-amber and amber signals in addition to the red signal (regulation 2(5));substitute regulation 40 (school crossing patrol signs and warning lights) (regulation 2(6));amend regulation 43 to reduce the minimum height above the carriageway for blue flashing beacons and to remove the specified time limit between flashes (regulation 2(7));add “fire vehicles” to the permitted variants for the plate (diagram 618.1) indicating a prohibition on vehicles (regulation 2(9)(d));provide that the plate (diagram 648) showing a continuous prohibition on stopping on the footway applies to all roads and not only clearways (regulation 2(9)(e));delete the permitted variants in respect of the sign shown in diagram 773 (STOP when lights show) (regulation 2(10));add “bus lane” to the permitted variants for the sign (diagram 878) indicating the presence of cameras used for enforcement (regulation 2(11));add permitted variants to the signs (diagrams 958 and 959) indicating with-flow bus lanes to allow the signs to indicate a bus lane on the right-hand side (regulation 2(12)(a) and (b));delete the requirement to illuminate the road marking shown in diagram 1003.6 (regulation 2(13)(b) and (16));provide that the road markings shown in diagrams 1025 and 1025.1 (bus stop marking) may be used on hard shoulders as well as carriageways (regulation 2(13)(c) and (d));provide that the road markings shown in diagrams 1048 and 1049 may be used to indicate a lane reserved for fire vehicles as well as a bus lane (regulation 2(13)(e), (f) and (g));provide that the road marking shown in diagram 1050 (direction of possible traffic movements at the end of a bus lane) may be reversed in a mirror image (regulation 2(13)(h)); andclarify the permitted variants in respect of the sign shown in diagram 2716 (sign indicating an alternative route) (regulation 2(14)).