Part A: Policy Statement - Emergency Fuel Signage

1. Policy Statement

Emergency fuel signage will be provided for the benefit of travellers on designated State routes, subject to Guideline conditions.

Part B: Application and Approval Guidelines

1. Preliminary

1.1 Definitions

Refer to Main Roads Glossary of Terms guidelines which provide the most commonly used terminology used by Main Roads.

1.2 Introduction

Main Roads currently has a policy to provide signage for services including fuel outlets along our rural highways and main roads. Travellers not familiar with the suburbs around a particular freeway or highway are reluctant to leave the major road in urban areas to find a fuel outlet, unless signing is provided.

Emergency fuel signage along the urban freeways and controlled access highways inform drivers running short of fuel of a nearby fuel outlet and the opportunity to leave the freeway or highway.

1.3 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to detail Main Roads requirements for and the use and location of emergency fuel signs on applicable routes.

Main Roads primary objectives of these guidelines are to:

• ensure that the future safety and efficiency of the freeway and controlled access highway system is not compromised, and
• provide direction from freeway to nearest fuel outlet on the connecting road for drivers running short on fuel.

2. Application

2.1 Applicable Roads

Emergency fuel signs shall only be considered on the following routes:

• Graham Farmer Freeway,
• Kwinana Freeway,
• Mitchell Freeway,
• Perth-Darwin (National) Highway, within the Metropolitan Region,
• Perth-Adelaide (National) Highway, within the Metropolitan Region,
• Reid Highway,
• Roe Highway,
• Tonkin Highway.

2.2 Conditions

Main Roads specific requirements for the installation of emergency fuel signage are as follows:

• Fuel outlet shall have direct frontage to the connecting road from the freeway or highway,
• Fuel outlet shall be within 2 km of the freeway off ramp or the highway intersection,
• Fuel outlet shall operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
• Fuel outlet shall be able to supply Petrol, Diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fuels,
• Fuel outlet must apply and meet costs for signage (as applicable for Service Signs policy and guidelines),
• Signage is restricted to symbolic fuel pump only and placement in accordance with the technical guidelines.

2.3 Costs

The applicant shall be responsible for initial costs associated with emergency fuel signs on exit ramp approaches and ramp terminal at connecting roads including:

• Supply, delivery and installation of new signing.

Main Roads shall be responsible all other costs including:

• Modifications and addition of signs to existing signing,
• Replacement for damaged sign panels, posts and fixings,
• Replacement for sign panels, posts and fixings that have reached the end of their service life.

2.4 Ownership

As emergency fuel signs are installed within the road reserves of State and/or Local roads, Main Roads shall retain ownership of the signs.

2.5 Non-Compliant Fuel Outlets (Retrospective Action)

Where fuel outlets no longer comply with the requirements of this policy, emergency fuel signage shall be removed within 2 months from the date of notification to the owner/operator that the fuel outlet is not in compliance.

3. Approval

3.1 Applications

Applications for emergency fuel signage should be addressed to the Road Services Officer (Advertising).

The applicant should provide the following information:

• Applicants Name, Postal Address, E-mail Address and Telephone Number,
• A sketch map showing the service station location with road names and access points,
• Confirmation of operating hours,
• Confirmation of availability of Petrol, Diesel and LPG fuels at the location.

3.2 Approval

All emergency fuel signage shall be approved by the Road Services Officer (Advertising).

Approval shall remain valid for a period of 6 months. Approval will lapse should full payment for installation not be received during this period and another application for approval must be lodged.

Part C: Technical Guidelines - Emergency Fuel Signage

1. General

1.1 Introduction

Signs for emergency fuel outlets are provided on freeway-standard roads within the Perth Metropolitan area in order to minimise the number of incidents of vehicles running out of fuel on these roads, thus minimising the need for drivers to pull over and stop in the emergency lane.

1.2 Scope

This technical document details the types and locations of all standard signs required to effectively sign for emergency fuel outlets from freeway standard roads.

1.3 References

The use of fuel symbol signs from freeway standard roads shall be in accordance with the principles set out in AS1742.6 - 2004, Section 5.7.3 with approved Main Roads variations and additions, where necessary.

2. Design Guidelines

2.1 Signs Used to Sign for Emergency Fuel off the Freeway

​ ​Sign function and  description	Sign number 1	Symbol & Sign size (mm)​ ​
		Symbols (grid height)	Sign Size
Supplementary Panel  (Petrol symbol only)	GE7-10-1	800mm (160 x 5)	1320mm x 1320mm
Petrol Symbol	MR-SM-3	450mm (90 x 5)	600mm x 600mm
Horizontal Arrow	MR-SMAX-5 (L or R)	NA	600mm x 200mm

1 - Refer to AS1742.6-2004 (Table 5.5) for "GE" series sign numbers. 

 

Figure 1: Layout of Signs for Emergency Fuel at the Approach to a Freeway Exit

 

 

 

Figure 2: Signing for Emergency Fuel from Freeways - Signs at Ramp Terminals

 

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​The Supplementary Panel (GE7-10-1) with the Fuel symbol is used to give advance information of the service available at the next exit and is used together with the Advance Exit Direction Sign as well as the Exit Direction Sign (refer to Figure 1). In both cases the sign shall be mounted on the top left hand side of the relevant Exit Direction Sign, or beside it if the latter is mounted overhead. ​

 

The MR-SM-3​​​​ sign (Fuel symbol) shall be installed in conjunction with the appropriate MR-SMAX-5(L or R) supplementary plate as an advance position sign along the ramp terminal. The sign shall be installed approximately 100m in advance of the stop or give way line and should be clearly visible to exiting traffic to enable drivers to select the appropriate lane for turning into the cross-road.  The sign shall be mounted on the right hand side of the road if the driver is required to turn right at the ramp terminal and vice versa. If emergency fuel is available within the prescribed distance in both directions (and both fuel outlets apply for signs), then these signs shall be mounted on both the left-hand and right-hand sides of the ramp, each with the appropriate supplementary plate.