Scottish Ministers: South East Scotland Trunk Roads Order 2026 Imposes Temporary Traffic Restrictions

• The South East Scotland Trunk Roads (Temporary Prohibitions of Traffic and Overtaking and Temporary Speed Restrictions) (No. 8) Order 2026 has been made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
• Temporary traffic restrictions, including speed restrictions and prohibitions on overtaking, will be in place from 7th February 2026 until 31st March 2026.
• The affected roads include the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass, the A68 between Edinburgh and Jedburgh, and the A697 between Longframlington and Coldstream.
• Businesses that rely on these routes to transport goods may need to adjust their schedules and routes to comply with the restrictions.

The order will be enforced by the Police Scotland and Transport Scotland.

The South East Scotland Trunk Roads (Temporary Prohibitions of Traffic and Overtaking and Temporary Speed Restrictions) (No. 8) Order 2026 has been made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The order imposes temporary traffic restrictions on various trunk roads in South East Scotland, including speed restrictions and prohibitions on overtaking. These restrictions are intended to facilitate roadworks and maintenance activities. According to the order, the restrictions will be in place from 7th February 2026 until 31st March 2026. The affected roads include the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass, the A68 between Edinburgh and Jedburgh, and the A697 between Longframlington and Coldstream.

The order is made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which grants local authorities in Scotland powers to regulate traffic flow on trunk roads. The act allows for temporary restrictions to be imposed where necessary for roadworks or maintenance activities. In this case, the order was made by the Scottish Ministers, who have determined that the temporary restrictions are necessary to ensure public safety and facilitate essential works on the affected roads. The order will be enforced by the Police Scotland and Transport Scotland.

The imposition of temporary traffic restrictions on trunk roads in South East Scotland has significant implications for logistics and supply chain operations in the region. Businesses that rely on these routes to transport goods may need to adjust their schedules and routes to comply with the restrictions. Compliance exposures arising from these restrictions should be carefully monitored by lawyers, who can help businesses navigate any potential issues. The temporary nature of the restrictions does not diminish the importance of compliance, as failure to adhere to the regulations could result in fines or other penalties.

Lawyers should watch for compliance exposures arising from these temporary traffic restrictions, which may impact logistics and supply chain operations in South East Scotland.

Source: Original reporting via UK Legislation