The Manx Highway Code will be updated ’as soon as possible’, according to the minister for infrastructure.

A number of changes to the UK Highway Code came into force at the end of last month and the Isle of Man version closely mirrors the UK code, however the changes have not been implemented here.

In a House of Keys sitting on Tuesday, Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse asked Minister for Infrastructure Tim Crookall when the next update of the Manx Highway Code would be published.

Mr Crookall confirmed it had last been updated in 2014, whereas the UK code had been updated more recently.

He said he wished to avoid the Isle of Man’s code becoming out of date and that changes would be made ’as soon as possible’.

The DoI needs to adapt it ’subject to a consultation with Home Affairs’ who Mr Crookall would be ’meeting with very shortly’, he said.

Mr Moorhouse pointed out the safety of the island’s roads and the issues raised about this in recent months with the new developments on Douglas Promenade and asked if this had any impact on the department’s consideration.

Mr Crookall said: ’It has indeed, hence the consultation or meetings I will be having with DHA and the police over this in the very near future.’

When asked if it would differ from the UK code with the inclusion of roundels, he said: ’Following on from those conversations with the police and anyone else we’ve discussed it with, it won’t be that much different from UK. They have roundels in UK, which I’m sure some of our engineers got the ideas from in the first place, they didn’t dream them up.’

The minister said it’s unlikely there will be a public consultation on the matter.

The Manx Highway Code will be made available online when the changes are made.

The changes being made in the UK include new guidance for crossing at junctions, such as people crossing having priority, traffic giving priority to cyclists on roundabouts, and keeping at least 0.5 metres away from the kerb when cycling.