My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Transport (Rosie Winterton) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
I regret to inform the House that the Answer I gave on 7 February to a Parliamentary Question (Official Report, col. 1422W], about traffic signs for the central London congestion charging scheme was not sufficiently clear in respect of advance warning signs for the scheme.
The Answer should read as follows:
The department has authorised the design of 28 traffic signs and road markings for the central London congestion charging scheme under Sections 64 and 65 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. These designs have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The table below shows when these authorisations were provided:
Traffic signs (numbers) Date authorised 1-18 7 August 2002 19-21 29 November 2002 22 6 January 2005 23 14 November 2005 24-28 1 November 2006
In addition, the department authorised:
the use of sign number 6 from the above table, with the motorway telephone symbol, as shown in traffic signs regulations and general directions diagram 2713.1 (15 January 2003) ; and
the legend “Avoiding Charge” to be placed on advance direction signs (9 May 2005).
There are no drawings for these signs.
The authorisation to place non-prescribed traffic signs in respect of the central London congestion charging scheme, dated 7 August 2002, requires signs indicating the entry and exit of the London charging zone to be placed on or near roads entering or exiting the scheme, and in sufficient numbers and in appropriate positions to indicate to all traffic entering or leaving the zone the nature of the scheme. That direction does not apply to the authorised signs warning drivers on the approaches to the zone. Those signs are therefore discretionary.