Not all roads are suitable for certain types of vehicles.
Sometimes vehicles are not permitted (they are banned) to drive in certain areas. This is to ensure the free flow of traffic for environmental or safety reasons.
Recognising the signs
Signs with red circles are normally prohibitive. There are some times when usually prohibited vehicles may be permitted to drive on these roads.
View information on different types of signs, and some of the most common exemptions.
| What it means | Traffic sign |
|---|---|
| No motor vehicles |
|
| No vehicles except bicycles being pushed |
|
| No goods vehicles exceeding the maximum gross weight shown on the sign |
|
| No motor vehicles except motorcycles |
|
| Exemption | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Except for access" | You are not permitted to drive past the sign unless you require access to a property on that road. |
| "Except for access to off-street premises" | You are not permitted to drive past the sign unless you require vehicular access to an off-street premises that is only accessable from that road (such as an off-street car park). |
| "Except permit holders" | You are not permitted to drive past the sign unless you have been issued with a permit for that location by the council. |
| "Except for loading" | You are not permitted to drive past the sign unless you need to load or unload goods to a property on that road. |
| "Except for loading by goods vehicles" | You are not permitted to drive past the sign unless you need to load or unload goods to a property on that road and you are driving a goods vehicle. |
Top tips to avoid a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
We issue PCNs for a failure to comply with any of these road signs.
To avoid getting a PCN, you should make sure you know:
what type of vehicle you are driving. This will help you understand which signs apply to you.
the meaning of the different types of exemptions that may be present, and check if any apply.
