The M32 Motorway (Bus Lane and Speed Limit) Regulations 2018

Made: 9th January 2018

Laid before Parliament: 10th January 2018

Coming into force: 31st January 2018

Representative organisations have been consulted in accordance with section 134(2) of that Act.

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the M32 Motorway (Bus Lane and Speed Limit) Regulations 2018 and come into force on 31st January 2018.

Interpretation

2

In these Regulations—

• “bus”, “solo motorcycle” and “taxi” have the same meaning as in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016[^f00002];

• “junction 3” means the Lower Ashley Road Interchange at junction 3 of the M32;

• “motorway” has the same meaning as in the Motorways Traffic (England and Wales) Regulations 1982[^f00003];

• “M32” means the M32 motorway;

• “the bus lane” means the length of the M32 specified in Schedule 1; and

• “traffic officer” has the same meaning as in Part 1 of the Traffic Management Act 2004[^f00004].

Bus lane restriction

3

• (1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person shall cause or permit a motor vehicle to enter, or proceed along, the bus lane.

• (2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to—

• (a) a bus, solo motorcycle or taxi;

• (b) a vehicle being used for police, ambulance or fire and rescue authority purposes;

• (c) anything done at the direction or with the permission of a police constable, or a traffic officer, in uniform;

• (d) a vehicle being used in connection with—

• (i) the removal of any obstruction to traffic on or near the bus lane;

• (ii) the maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of the bus lane or any adjoining road;

• (iii) the laying, erection, alteration or repair of any sewer or of any main, pipe or apparatus for the supply of gas, water or electricity or of any electronic communications apparatus as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the Telecommunications Act 1984[^f00005] in or near the bus lane; or

• (iv) the placing, maintenance or removal of any traffic sign in or near the bus lane.

Imposition of speed limit

4

No person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed exceeding 40 miles per hour on the lengths of the M32 specified in Schedule 2.

SCHEDULE 1 — The bus lane

The offside lane of the south-westbound carriageway from a point 31 metres south-west of the centre point of the Severn Beach Railway Line Overbridge to the end of the M32 being a point 101 metres south-west of the centre of junction 3.

SCHEDULE 2 — Lengths of the M32 subject to speed limit

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Jesse Norman — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Department for Transport — 9th January 2018

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations create a bus lane on the offside lane of the south-westbound carriageway of the M32 motorway (regulation 3) and impose a 40 miles per hour speed limit on specified lengths of the north-eastbound and south-westbound carriageways and slips roads (regulation 4).

Contravention of these Regulations is an offence under section 17(4) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

An impact assessment has not been prepared for these Regulations as no impact on the cost of business or the voluntary sector is foreseen. An Explanatory Memorandum is published alongside the Regulations at www.legislation.gov.uk.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1984 c.27; section 17(2) was amended by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c.22), Schedule 8, Part 2, paragraph 28(3); section 17(2)(b) was amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c.40), Schedule 8; section 17(2)(d) was inserted by the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c.40), Schedule 4, paragraph 25. There are other amendments to sections 17 and 134 which are not relevant to these Regulations

[^f00002]: S.I. 2016/362.

[^f00003]: S.I. 1982/1163, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

[^f00004]: 2004 c.18; Part 1 was amended by the Infrastructure Act 2015 (c.7), Schedule 1, paragraphs 130(2) and (3) and 133. There are other amendments to Part 1 which are not relevant to these Regulations.

[^f00005]: 1984 c.12; paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 was amended by the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), section 106(2) and Schedule 3, paragraphs 1 and 2(2).