British gov't orders removal of roadside clutter

More than 4.5 million road signs now line roadsides in England and Wales, more than double the number in 1993. And many have to go, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced Sunday.

Later this week hundreds of local councils across the country will be given new legal powers to tear down pointless road signs.

The new rules are aimed at ensuring temporary message signs with adverts and distracting logos are not cluttering the roadsides.

Many signs, meant to be temporary, have never been removed, but from April 22, they will have to contain a "remove by" date.

The simpler rules are being brought in to give town halls the power to take down unnecessary signs and for the first time, some signs will have "remove by dates" on the back so they are not needlessly left in place for years.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "Road signs should only be installed on our roads when they are essential. Our common-sense reforms will help get rid of pointless signs that are an eyesore and distract drivers."

"These new rules will also save 30 million pounds (about 42.6 million U.S. dollars) in taxpayers' cash by 2020, leaving drivers with just the signs they need to travel safely," said McLoughlin.

The DfT is to set up a task force looking at removing pointless signs, with the crackdown paving the way for wider changes.

A DfT spokesman said in London on Sunday: "Too many signs look ugly and stop drivers seeing only essential messages. Cutting the number and size of signs will help reduce unnecessary eyesores for all road users and local residents." Endit