From 11 March 2026, zebra crossings on the mouths of side streets in Wales will be simpler to install. Welsh Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 35, signed by Transport and North Wales Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates on 6 February, removes the need for zig‑zag “controlled areas” and Belisha beacons in tightly defined 20mph junction layouts.

Here’s the crux. If a zebra is laid across a minor road within five metres of its junction with a major road, and both roads are signed at 20mph or lower, councils no longer have to paint the familiar zig‑zags or fit the yellow globes. Instead, give‑way line markings must sit alongside the stripes on each side of the crossing.

For drivers, the black‑and‑white stripes still carry the same meaning: slow down and give way to people on the crossing. What will look different in these spots is the lack of beacons and zig‑zags at the junction mouth, replaced by crisp give‑way markings that frame the crossing.

Space is often tight at side‑road junctions off busy high streets. The amendment recognises that by allowing the minimum set‑back between the give‑way line and the edge of the crossing to be reduced from 1.1 metres to 0.3 metres where the traffic authority thinks fit.

There’s also a practical tweak to the stopping rule. In these junction layouts, a driver is allowed to stop within the limits of the zebra while waiting to turn onto the major road. Outside of this scenario, the usual ban on stopping on a zebra crossing continues to apply.

The change will be most visible in North Wales towns such as Wrexham, Mold, Rhyl, Llandudno and Bangor, where 20mph networks are bedding in. Northern readers who cross the border for work on Deeside, weekend trips along the A55 or school runs into Flintshire should expect to meet more side‑street zebras without beacons.

For highways teams, this is a lower‑cost, faster option for school‑gate crossings and side‑streets off shopping parades. Fewer posts, less cabling and no long zig‑zag tapers means shorter jobs and less street clutter, while the give‑way lines keep priority clear for everyone.

It’s tightly drawn to reduce confusion. The concession only applies where both roads are 20mph or below and the zebra sits within five metres of the main road. Councils choose whether to use it, and if they do, give‑way markings must be placed on both sides of the crossing.

This is a Wales‑only adjustment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. It does not apply in England, so drivers heading from Cheshire or Merseyside into Flintshire or Conwy may spot a difference in the way some side‑street zebras are laid out.

The detail sits in the Traffic Signs (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations and General Directions 2026, Welsh Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 35, published on legislation.gov.uk. The instrument was made on 6 February 2026 and comes into force on 11 March 2026.