What are Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs)?
Traffic Regulation Orders are legal orders put in place to control speed, movement and parking of vehicles. You can view any proposed traffic regulation orders we have for our roads on the traffic orders page on our website. You can find out about any traffic regulation orders on Trunk Roads on the Transport Scotland website.
Why would a TRO be needed?
The Traffic Regulation Order process is outlined in legislation and there are a number of reasons why one might be required. The following list provides some examples but is not exhaustive:
- To deal with a safety issue
- To improve flow of traffic
- Management of car parks
- Designated parking bays (e.g. disabled bays)
- Speed limits
- Prevent damage to a road (e.g. introduction of a weight limit)
- Preserve or improve the amenities of an area.
What is the TRO consultation process-what happens before a decision is made?
- The need for a TRO is identified.
- Stage 1 consultation - Police Scotland are the statutory consultees at Stage 1.
- Subject to comments received from Police Scotland, proposals are drafted.
- Stage 2 consultation - other public sector organisations like Scottish Fire & Rescue and key community organisations who represent communities that are likely to be affected are asked for comments. This is a chance for them to feed in their thoughts on the proposal before it goes out for public consultation. The proposals are not set in stone at this point and community input can help shape the final draft of the TRO. We are keen to work with partners and communities to help make sure we design the best proposal to go out to public consultation. If you are a Stage 2 consultee group then it is really important that you engage at this stage.
- The draft TRO is prepared.
- Stage 3 consultation - the final draft TRO goes out for public consultation and this is open to any organisation, group or person. At this stage objections to the proposal can be submitted.
Can I comment on a proposed TRO?
If you are part of a community organisation and we write to you as part of our Stage 2 consultation, then your organisation should seek comments from its members before submitting the group response. If we hold workshops as part of the consultation process we will notify community councils of any workshops—they can help publicise the opportunity for the community to engage with us.
At Stage 3, the consultation is opened up to any organisation, group or person. We publicise this by circulating the Notice in a local newspaper, on the Councils' website and Tell Me Scotland. Copies of the draft Order can normally be viewed at the appropriate Council Service Points or Libraries or other public building (e.g. Post Office). The draft TRO is also available for viewing on the Councils website.
Can I include comments about other traffic issues when commenting on a TRO?
The TRO process is a statutory process followed when a specific action is being proposed. The TRO cannot be altered to include other traffic issues although any concerns may be submitted to the Council through a service request or through the complaints procedure.
How will I know my comments are listened to?
We consider all suggestions made by all partners during the TRO process—sometimes, at Stage 2, conflicting views might come in from different partners, or there may be a practical reason why a suggestion can’t be taken forward. We will consider all community input but it is not always possible to incorporate all suggestions that come in. Stage 3 consultation is open to anyone in the community who wishes to object to the proposed TRO.
How will I find out what the outcome is?
If you are a Stage 2 consultee, then we will send you notification when we move to Stage 3. Permanent Traffic Orders that have come in to place within the last six months, and proposed Traffic Regulation Orders, can all be found on our website.