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Introduction
Port of London River Byelaws 1978 (as amended) currently include at Appendix III, a summary of the City of London’s Regulations for the opening and shutting of Tower Bridge. As the Byelaws themselves do not refer to these regulations it is not strictly correct for the regulations to be published as an Appendix to the Byelaws.
Mariners should note that future editions of the River Byelaws will not include these regulations, and the opportunity is now being taken to promulgate them as Notice to Mariners.
New signals have been installed at Tower Bridge and in consequence the Regulations made by the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London on the 6th October 1955, as amended by the Regulations made on the 24th January 1957, and 30th November 1961, have been repealed and new Regulations as set out below were made on the 22nd day of July 1976 in substitution thereof.
In these Regulations the following words and expressions have the meanings hereinafter respectively assigned to them:–
“the bridge” includes the Tower Bridge and the Piers, Towers and abutments thereof, and the high-level footbridges and the staircases and lifts leading thereto and the Approaches thereto.
“the bascule bridge” means the central or opening archway or span of the Bridge.
“vessels” includes every description of watercraft, including non-displacement craft and sea-planes, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.
“Master” in relation to a vessel means any Person, having or taking the command, charge or management of a vessel for the time being,
“by day” means between sunrise and sunset. “by night” means between sunset and sunrise.
“restricted visibility” means any condition in which visibility is restricted by fog, mist, falling snow, heavy rain storms, sandstorms or any other similar causes.
“Bridge Master” means the Superintending Engineer and Tower Bridge Master for the time being or his Deputy.
The bascule bridge will be open for the purpose of providing passage for the navigation of any vessel
after the receipt by the Bridge Master of not less than 24 hours notice that passage for the navigation of the vessel is required and at or about the time stated in the notice as the intended time of passage.
Provided always that if the navigation of any vessel is not thereby delayed or interfered with it shall not be necessary to open the bascule bridge for the passage of any vessel, the mast or masts or funnel or funnels of which are capable of being readily moved or lowered with safety to the vessel.
By day and by night a red light will be shown both up and down the river from the piers on each side of the bascule bridge to indicate that the bascule bridge is closed or being closed or opened.
By day and by night a green light will be shown both up and down river from the piers on each side of the bascule bridge to indicate that the bascule bridge is open.
In restricted visibility, in addition to the signal prescribed by Regulation 4, a high frequency repetitive note of 820 cycles per second will be transmitted for a period of approximately 10 seconds, followed by a silent period of the same duration. These signals will be given over the loud hailer system from the north pier of the bridge for such period as the bascule bridge is open for river traffic.
In the event of it not being possible to give the signals mentioned in the Regulation owing to electrical failure of otherwise, hand beaten gongs will be sounded every 30 seconds from the north pier of the bridge for such period as the bascule bridges is open for river traffic.
In restricted visibility, the bascule bridge will be opened in pursuance of Regulation 2 for the passage of any vessel on the Master thereof giving warning when ready and in position to pass through the bridge by a sound signal of one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts followed by one prolonged blast.
22nd July 1976 S.J CLAYTON
Town Clerk
Notes:
Regulation 6 is printed above as substituted by additional regulations made on 17th January 1980 and coming into force on 4th February 1980.
The Port of London Authority publishes a (Permanent) Notice to Mariners regarding the procedures to be followed by high air draught vessels transiting Tower Bridge.
CITY OF LONDON (VARIOUS POWERS) ACT 1971
Section 11(l) (a) of the above Act provides as follows:
“Notwithstanding the provisions of section 29 (Tower Bridge to be opened for navigation of vessels notwithstanding any delay of the land traffic occasioned thereby) of the Corporation of London (Tower Bridge) Act 1885, the Corporation shall only be required to open Tower Bridge for the purpose of providing passage for the navigation of any vessel upon the receipt, by the bridge Master or other officer of the Corporation for the time being having charge of the bridge, of not less than twenty-four hours’ notice that passage for the navigation of the vessel is required, and at or about the time stated in the notice as the intended time of passage.”
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