The sign
Fitting the sign is voluntary and applicable to passenger vehicles with more than nine seats, including the driver (vehicles in General Vehicle Regulation categories M2 and M3, category N1, N2 and N3 goods vehicles, and vehicles transporting waste in urban areas).
The signs must comply with the requirements set out in the directive to ensure maximum durability and visibility. They may only be sold from authorised establishments, which must be registered registration plate handlers.
It must be fitted in such a way that it is visible in all circumstances and must not obstruct the visibility of the vehicle’s statutory registration plates and markings, the visibility of lights or signalling devices, or obstruct the driver’s field of vision. The directive details the number of signs to be displayed, and how they should be positioned, depending on vehicle type.
The fleet of public service vehicles.
This signage has come about through cooperation between different government bodies, involving various city councils from the outset, among them Barcelona, Zaragoza Logroño, and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB).
The involvement of these city councils in reducing the number of accidents in their cities has also moved them to commit to placing ‘protect the vulnerable’ signage on their fleet of public service vehicles. For Barcelona City Council this will involve 2,199 vehicles, and another 800 for the AMB.
At the same time, work has also been done with the Business Organisation for Logistics and Transport, the Logistics and Freight Transport Innovation Centre and the Manufacturers and Distributors Association on promoting use of the sign and other initiatives relating to urban goods distribution to be implemented in the near future.
