294. The history of the administration of traffic signs has been one of a gradual trend towards centralisation in order to diminish diversity and prevent proliferation. The Motor Car Act of 1903 imposed the first obligation to put up signs and this was placed upon local authorities. But the differences with which the many responsible authorities carried out their obligations, together with the standardisation which was already taking place on the Continent, led to the Road Traffic Act of 1930 and to much greater central control. This Act, whilst maintaining local authorities' powers to put up signs, empowered the Minister to issue Statutory Regulations and Directions setting out what the size, colour and type of traffic signs should be and how they should be used . The Minister was also given powers to authorise special signs and to require signs to be erected or removed.
Following the report of the 1933 Committee, the first Statutory Regulations and Directions were issued in December of that year.
Since that date there have been numerous amendments to the Regulations and Directions, including those necessary to give effect to the improvements and additions recommended by the 1944 Committee. In the Road Traffic Act 1960 the law as to traffic signs was consolidated.
295. However, the basis of administration remains much the same as it became in 1930. That is to say, the initiative continues to rest with highway authorities who include the Minister for trunk roads and motorways. They have the power to put up traffic signs but this is permissive and there is no law requiring them to do so. It is left to their sense of responsibility and know ledge of local circumstances to provide such signs as they consider necessary for safety and traffic circulation. Those provided must, however, conform with the size, colour and type required by Regulations and with the injunctions as to use contained in the Directions. In addition, most prohibitory and some mandatory and warning signs require the Minister's agreement before they can be erected . This control is designed to ensure reasonable and uniform use of the important statutory signs (to ignore which may incur penalty) and particularly to prevent their proliferation to an extent which might reduce their value and result in their becoming disregarded by drivers and incapable of adequate enforcement by the police. To supplement these limiting and supervisory functions the law continues to give the Minister power, hitherto seldom used, to require signs to be put up or taken down.
From time to time memoranda of advice about traffic signs are issued by Departments to local authorities and to their own engineers in the field. These have been necessary in order to impart more extensive instructions on new problems than would have been possible in Statutory form. An example has been the application of double white lines and the appropriate signs for traffic control schemes necessitated by increasing urban congestion.
A further element of central control is exercised by making grants paid for traffic signs on classified roads conditional upon these signs conforming with Regulations and Directions.
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