Department for Transport removes over 9,000 unnecessary road signs

The Department for Transport (DfT) has removed over 9,000 traffic signs from roads in the UK a bid to reduce clutter.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin is urging local authorities to remove signs that are damaged or no longer needed.

In London, 8,000 repeater signs and 4,000 poles installed in the early 1990s have been taken down and 200 traffic signs have been removed along a 12 mile stretch of the A32 in Hampshire. A further 1,000 have been removed in Somerset.

Dana Skelley, director of roads at Transport for London (TfL) said: “Unnecessary street clutter can make the journeys of all road users awkward, regardless whether they are motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.”

The DfT has issued a ‘Reducing Sign Clutter’ document providing advice for local authorities on how to cost-effectively remove unnecessary signage . It encourages them to remove damaged or unneeded signs and ensure they are provided only when needed. The DfT said this will help reduce costs as authorities will no longer need to maintain or light up as many signs.

McLoughlin said: “ There are too many unnecessary signs blotting the landscapes of our towns and cities. That is why I have published new guidance to help local authorities make old, confusing and ugly signs a thing of the past.”

The DfT is currently revising the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions legislation, which came into effect in 2002.