Chapter 3 consultation letter
Zone 2/08
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
LONDON
SW1P 4DR
Email: TSMChapter3.consultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk
10 September 2007
Dear consultee
TRAFFIC SIGNS MANUAL CHAPTER 3 - CONSULTATION
I attach for your consideration a draft of the new Chapter 3 of the Traffic Signs Manual (TSM), dealing with regulatory signs. This will replace the current edition, published in 1986. The draft can also be seen at www.dft.gov.uk/consultations.
The purpose of TSM is to explain to professional users such as local authority traffic engineers and their consultants the correct application of the signs prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD), currently the 2002 Regulations, SI 2002 No. 3113. Please note that the TSM is a guidance document and not legislation. It cannot be used to amend the TSRGD, so please do not suggest that it be revised to reflect changes you would like to see in the Regulations.
The new draft Chapter 3 deals principally with signs that are already prescribed by TSRGD. An important exception is in paragraphs 14.41 to 14.46. These deal with amendments to safety camera signing in the current TSRGD, which are subject to a separate consultation which ends on 17 September 2007 (for further details see www.dft.gov.uk/consultations). If Parliament does not subsequently approve the proposed amendments on the signing of safety cameras, or does not approve them in their current form, paragraphs 14.41 to 14.46 will be amended accordingly.
What is the consultation about?
The Department would like to know if there are matters you feel the guidance should cover but does not, or if anything that it does cover needs to be expanded or clarified. Please use the attached pro forma for your response, and email it to the address shown above.
Who is likely to be interested in this consultation?
The consultation is primarily aimed at professional users of the Traffic Signs Manual, including local authority traffic engineers and their consultants, but responses are welcomed from anyone with an interest. A list of organisations/stakeholders that we have sent this consultation to is included in Annex A. If you have any suggestions of others who may wish to be involved in the consultation process please let us know.
Code of practice on consultation
This consultation has been produced in accordance with the principles of the Government’s "Code of Practice on Consultation" which are included at annex B.
A summary of responses to this consultation will be published on our website: www.dft.gov.uk after the consultation period has closed. An Impact Assessment has not been produced because there are no new impacts on Business, Charities, the Voluntary sector or Local Authorities.
Deadline for receipt of responses
The deadline for your response is Monday 3 December 2007. It would be very helpful if you could send your response before that date.
How to respond
It would be helpful if you used the response form included at Annex C.
Please send your responses by email to TSMChapter3.consultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk. Alternatively responses may be posted to:
TM Division Branch 5
Zone 2/08
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR
Collating responses
The information you send us may be passed to colleagues within the Department for Transport. It may also be published in a summary of responses that will be made available on the Department’s website at www.dft.gov.uk after the consultation period has closed.
We will assume that you are content for us to do this, and that if you are replying by email, your consent overrides any confidentiality disclaimer generated by your organisation’s IT system, unless you specifically include a request to the contrary in the main text of your submission to us.
According to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (2000), all information contained in your response to this consultation may be subject to publication or disclosure. This may include personal information such as your name and address. If you want your response or your name and address to remain confidential, you should explain why confidentiality is necessary. Your request will be granted only if it is it is consistent with Freedom of Information obligations. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your email system will not be regarded as binding on the Department.
Next steps
The consultation period begins on 10 September and runs until 3 December 2007. Please ensure your response reaches us by that date. The Department will consider all comments received by this date, before publishing the new Chapter 3.
Enquiries
Enquiries about the contents of the draft guidance should be made to the above email or postal address, heading your enquiry “CHAPTER 3 QUERY”.
Yours faithfully
Brian Lyus
TM5
