12Erection of or interference with traffic control devices

12 Erection of or interference with traffic control devices (1) A person shall not, without the consent in writing of the competent authority: (a) erect, establish or display; or (b) interfere with, alter or take down, a traffic control device on a public street or public place. (2) A person shall not erect, establish, place, display or maintain anything on a public street or public place which: (a) interferes with the effectiveness of a traffic control device; Traffic Act 1987 11 (b) may prevent a driver approaching a traffic control device from clearly seeing that device or any part of it; (c) may distract the attention of a driver approaching a traffic control device from that device; (d) may prevent a driver on a public street or public place from clearly seeing the street or place ahead of that driver; or (e) purports to be, or is an imitation of, or is similar to: (i) a traffic control device; or (ii) a flashing light of a type fitted to an emergency vehicle. (3) The owner of a light shall not use it or permit it to be used where the Director has, by notice in writing to that owner, declared that the use of the light is a danger to traffic. (4) Where a person has erected, established, placed, displayed or maintained a thing on a public street or public place which, in the opinion of the Director or the competent authority, contravenes section 12(2), the Director or competent authority may direct that person to remove it in such time as the Director or competent authority specifies. (5) The Director or the competent authority may, where a person given a direction under subsection (4) fails to comply with the direction within the specified time, remove the thing or cause it to be removed, and the cost of that removal shall be a debt due and payable by that person to the Territory (where the direction is given by the Director) or the competent authority.