Healthy Streets

Understanding highways changes and how to have your say

Neighbourhoods are unique so it is important to find the best solution for the area. Traffic management orders (TMO) are legal documents and statutory consultation with stakeholders that enable us to manage traffic in the borough.

Categories of TMOs

TMOs fall into 2 categories: 
static restrictions refer to parking, waiting, stopping or loading  
moving restrictions refer to restrictions on the movement of vehicles, such as: 

• one-way operations 
• no entry points 
• bus lanes/gates 

Some static restrictions do not require a TMO to implement, these include: 

• School Keep Clears 
• yellow box junctions 
• bus stops 

Types of TMOs 

There are 3 types of TMOs: 

• permanent 
• experimental 
• temporary 

Permanent orders 

Most street signs and lines are a result of permanent TMOs. 
Examples are: 

• single/double yellow lines 
• parking schemes 
• banned turns 
• one-ways 
• speed limits 

Experimental orders 

Experimental orders are schemes introduced as an experiment to see what its effects are and can be changed if necessary. They last a minimum of 6 months, when a consultation will be opened and can be in place up to 18 months, before either being: 

• abandoned 
• Amended (within 1 year) 
• made permanent 

Temporary orders 

Temporary orders are put in place where the use of a road needs to be temporarily: 

• Prohibited - a closure 
• restricted 
• suspended 

This could be because of: 

• highway or utility works 
• street cleaning  
• situations that are likely to be a danger to the public (eg falling debris) 

Orders last up to 18 months or 6 months if affecting a footway that is separate from a main highway. They maybe planned or in response to an emergency.

Road humps and pedestrian crossings 

TMOs are not required for road humps or pedestrian crossings, but a similar process of notification and submitting comments is followed. 

Notification of a TMO 

We must advertise each TMO. TMOs are published on our website and a notice is placed in a local newspaper (Surrey Comet, London Gazette). We may also put notices on lamp posts in the street relating to the proposed TMO. 

Have your say 

We want to hear your views. You can formally register your support or objections about a TMO in writing during a consultation period. These correspondences will be taken to our neighbourhood committees to resolve. To gather wider feedback we often open a short survey for residents to complete on our engagement portal KingstonLetsTalk.co.uk and may run events in your local area. We write to residents and organisations to let them know about how they can share their experiences of a scheme affecting them.