Regulation 3 Savings
Subject to paragraph (2), any traffic sign which immediately before the coming into force of these Regulations is placed on or near any road shall be treated as prescribed by these Regulations, notwithstanding any provisions of these Regulations to the contrary, provided that—
it is a sign prescribed, or to be treated as if prescribed, by the 1981 Regulations; and
it continues to comply with those Regulations,
as if those Regulations had not been revoked.
Paragraph (1) shall cease to have effect—
on 1st January 1996 in relation to any road markings shown in diagrams RM 2 to RM 29 in the Second Schedule to the Traffic Signs Regulations 1957f1, in relation to the sign shown in diagram 623 in Schedule 1 and any road markings shown in diagrams 1005 to 1008, 1013, 1015, 1016, 1027, 1028, 1030, 1031 and 1034 to 1039 in Schedule 2 to the Traffic Signs Regulations 1964f2; and
on 1st January 1999 in relation to any sign shown in any of the diagrams 508, 509, 537.1, 537.2, 537.3, 537.4, 542.1, 542.2, 554 (when varied to “Ice” or “Snowdrifts”), 556.3, 556.4, 577, 603, 605.1 and 622.1A (when varied to indicate a 16.5 tonne maximum gross weight prohibition) in Schedule 1 and diagrams 1016.1, 1018, 1020 and 1021 in Schedule 2 to the 1981 Regulations; and
on 1st January 2005 in relation to any sign shown in any of the diagrams 403 to 405, 412A to 418, 422 to 433, 435 to 459, 468 to 472, and 474 to 495 in the First Schedule to the Traffic Signs Regulations 1957, in diagrams 742, 746, 837, and 838 in Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations 1964, and in diagrams 626.1, 627, 628.1, 641, 642.1, 653, 734.7, 739.3, 742.1, 742.2, 742.3, 742.4, 742.5, 742.6, 747, 748, 749, 750, 751, 752, 752.1, 753, 753.1, 758, 759, 837.1, 838.1 and 905 in Schedule 1 to the 1981 Regulations; and
on 1st January 2015 in relation to any sign shown in diagrams 728.1, 728.2, 729, 729.1, 729.2, 729.3, 730, 730.1, 732, 732.1, 732.2, 733, 733.1, 734.1, 734.2, 734.3, 734.4, 734.5, 734.6, 734.8, 734.9, 734.10, 736, 736.1, 737.1, 760 and 761 in Schedule 1 to the 1981 Regulations.
A sign which is of the size, colour and type shown in diagram 701, 702, 702.1, 703, 703.1, 703.2, 703.3, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710, 710.1, 711.1, 712, 712.1, 713, 714, 715, 716, 717, 718, 718.1, 718.2, 718.3, 719, 719.1, 719.2, 719.3A, 719.4, 720, 721.1, 722, 723, 724, 724.1, 724.2, 725, 726, 727, 727.2, 728, 728.1, 728.2, 728.3, 729, 729.1, 729.2, 729.3, 730, 730.1, 732, 732.1, 732.2, 732.4, 732.5, 733, 733.1, 734.1, 734.2, 734.3, 734.4, 734.5, 734.6, 734.7, 734.8, 734.9, 734.10, 735.1, 735.2, 736, 736.1, 737.1, 739, 739.1, 739.2, 739.3, 739.4, 739.5, 741, 741.1 or 905 in Schedule 1 to the 1981 Regulations may be erected on or near a road after the coming into force of these Regulations, notwithstanding that it is not of the size, colour and type shown in any diagram in these Regulations, provided that the design or manufacture of the sign had begun before the coming into force of these Regulations.