Do weight restrictions apply to buses and coaches?

[Ranger 6]

Many thanks,

So, as the sign in question depicts a goods vehicle, then buses and coaches are exempt even though they're not mentioned in the TRO.

[twister]

jamei303 said:

I wonder why this bridge is only weak for goods vehicles - I guess you can't expect local council highways officers to know what they're doing:

Could it be as simple as:

Bridge is weak enough so that it wouldn't survive regular use by heavier vehicles, but is strong enough to handle occasional use.

Bridge is also on a road which would end up being used by a lot of heavier vehicles due to its proximity to a depot, maintenance yard etc, so a goods vehicle weight restriction has been added to divert all of that traffic, without hindering passage of the once an hour local bus service.

The local authority, trying to be clever/helpful, decides to stick up both the goods vehicle weight restriction sign AND the weak bridge sign, even though only the former would strictly be required here, just to explain that the goods vehicle restriction isn't there simply because Mrs Trellis who lives the other side of the bridge complained to the council about the constant noise of lorries driving past her cottage all day long, but because there's a genuine reason why that road isn't suitable for use by lorries.

?

[jamei303]

twister said:

Could it be as simple as:

Bridge is weak enough so that it wouldn't survive regular use by heavier vehicles, but is strong enough to handle occasional use.

Bridge is also on a road which would end up being used by a lot of heavier vehicles due to its proximity to a depot, maintenance yard etc, so a goods vehicle weight restriction has been added to divert all of that traffic, without hindering passage of the once an hour local bus service.

The local authority, trying to be clever/helpful, decides to stick up both the goods vehicle weight restriction sign AND the weak bridge sign, even though only the former would strictly be required here, just to explain that the goods vehicle restriction isn't there simply because Mrs Trellis who lives the other side of the bridge complained to the council about the constant noise of lorries driving past her cottage all day long, but because there's a genuine reason why that road isn't suitable for use by lorries.

?

It's not up to the council to invent road signs based on what they think might be nice. The rectangular weak bridge (or weak road) sign features a maximum gross weight prohibition roundel. There is no such sign as the one pictured.

The reason councils can't just invent signs is because it causes confusion. Say a fully laden fire engine came across that sign in an emergency. They wouldn't know for sure whether the bridge could support their weight or not, and so might feel it necessary to find another route, leading to a family burning to death.

[vonhosen]

Ranger 6 said:

Many thanks,

So, as the sign in question depicts a goods vehicle, then buses and coaches are exempt even though they're not mentioned in the TRO.

Yep, they sign doesn't prohibit them only good vehicles above the weight.

[twister]

Yes, I realise it's not an approved sign as per TSRGD (just one of oh so many around the country), and if you'd said "I wonder what's wrong with this sign" instead of "I wonder why this bridge is only weak for goods vehicles", then my earlier response would have been quite different