Non-prescribed signs

Section 65 of Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 empowers Councils to

cause or permit traffic signs to be placed on or near a road

Section 64 defines "traffic signs" as 

• signs specified by regulations (i.e. The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, currently TSRGD 2016 as amended); or 

• authorised by the relevant authority (i.e. specially authorised by DfT). 

What this means is that local authorities can place traffic signs on or near roads if those signs are:

• prescribed by TSRGD both as regards their form (shape, size, colour) and where they are placed; or

• specially authorised by DfT: this covers both

• signs which are not prescribed in TSRGD, including changes to a prescribed sign, e.g. Merton School  Zone signs; and

• non-prescribed uses of prescribed signs, e.g. Curved Arrows on Camrose Avenue, for which Harrow have not obtained special authorisation.

For many signs, TSRGD specifies various conditions which must be satisfied for the sign to be used, e.g. that there must be a traffic order whose effects include what the sign is showing. 

DfT keeps some signs "in reserve", available for use if a council applies for it and DfT agree with the council's plans. One example of this is the sign for a with-flow bus lane in the middle of the road, typically before a right turn which is for buses only. 

Another arises where DfT wants to try out a new sign which it is considering introducing with the next version of TSRGD. It lets local authorities know that such signs are available on application and may encourage them to try them out. This occurred in the early 1990s when the blue roundel for a bus restriction was made available as diagram WBM 267. It was made generally available in TSRGD 1994 as diagram 953. 

The complete package of signs which were available on application before 1994 is shown below:

Written 31st October 2025; last updated 2nd November 2029