XN000022-1984-08-16 — Page 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1934

NEW TRAFFIC LAWS TO BE IN FORCE SOON

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A NEW ROAD TRAFFIC ORDINANCE WITH SEVEN SETS OF REGULATIONS WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON AUGUST 25 THIS YEAR.

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (AUGUST 16), THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR PETER LEEDS, SAID THE NEW LAWS WERE THE RESULT OF THE FIRST COMPLETE REVISION OF ROAD TRAFFIC LEGISLATION SINCE 1959.

+ THE REVISION WAS NOT ONLY TO BRING THE LEGISLATION UP-TO- DATE, BUT ALSO TO HAVE IT RESTRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND BOTH TO THOSE WHO HAVE TO APPLY IT AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, MR LEEDS SAID.

+THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE TO INTRODUCE NEW PENALTIES AGAINST DRIVERS, BUT ONE TO CREATE A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL ROAD USERS, + HE STRESSED.

+NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE JUST FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE; AND AS FAR AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS CONCERNED, MANY OF THE FAMILIAR RULES WILL CONTINUE AS BEFORE.+

THE PREVIOUS 13 SETS OF REGULATIONS HAVE NOW BEEN COMBINED INTO SEVEN SETS, DEALING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES, REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES, DRIVING LICENCES, TRAFFIC CONTROL, PARKING, PUBLIC SERVICES VEHICLES AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT.

ONE OF THE MOST NOTICEABLE EFFECTS OF THE NEW REGULATIONS WOULD BE THE REPLACEMENT OF A NUMBER OF EXISTING SIGNS BY NEW SIGNS BASED ON INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED SYMBOLS RATHER THAN WORDS, THE NEW SIGNS WILL BE METRIC.

IN VIEW OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF EXISTING SIGNS, THE REPLACEMENT HAS TO BE CARRIED OUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS, BUT THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL 30 MPH SPEED LIMIT SIGNS BY 50 KM/H SIGNS AND 40 MPH SIGNS BY 70 KM/H SIGNS WILL BE THE FIRST TO TAKE PLACE, FROM AUGUST 25 TO AUGUST 27.

IT WAS ANNOUNCED AT TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE THAT, TO AVOID CONFUSION DURING THE CHANGEOVER OF SPEED LIMIT SIGNS, THE SPEED LIMIT FOR ALL ROADS IN THE TERRITORY WILL BE FIXED AT 50 KM/H FROM MIDNIGHT ON AUGUST 24 TO MIDNIGHT ON AUGUST 27, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIGNS ARE DISPLAYED.

AS FROM AUGUST 28, MOTORISTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO OBSERVE A GENERAL SPEED LIMIT OF 50 KM/H, UNLESS SIGNS ARE ERECTED SHOWING A DIFFERENT SPEED LIMIT.

FOR THE PURPOSE OF ISSUING DRIVING LICENCES, GOODS VEHICLES WILL BE CLASSIFIED INTO:

* LIGHT GOODS VEHICLES UP TO 5.5 TONNES GROSS.