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9 Feb 2010 : Column 847W—continued
Invalid Vehicles
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009, Official Report, column 1902W, on invalid vehicles: insurance, when the survey his Department is procuring to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people will be (a) completed and (b) published. [316099]
Mr. Khan [holding answer 5 February 2010]: Fieldwork for this survey took place during January 2010 and the Department expects to receive the survey data set during March 2010. It is likely that results will be published during the first half of the 2010-11 financial year, although a firm date has not yet been fixed.
The survey focused primarily on public attitudes to regulatory issues around mobility scooters. Although a question was asked on injuries caused by mobility scooters, it is not yet clear whether the sample size will be sufficient to allow the publication of robust estimates on this issue.
London-Exeter Railway Line: Rolling Stock
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to replace the (a) Class 158 Express Sprinter and (b) Class 159 South Western Turbo rolling stock operating between London and Exeter via Salisbury; what timetable he has set for replacement of that rolling stock; and if he will make a statement. [316083]
Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has no plans to replace the Class 158 Express Sprinter and the Class 159 South Western Turbo rolling stock operating between London and Exeter.
M25: Road Traffic
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what the average weekday vehicle delay in minutes per 10 miles was on the clockwise M25/A282 between junctions (a) 29, (b) 30, (c) 31, (d) 1a, (e) 1b and (f) 2 and junctions (i) 30, (ii) 31, (iii) 1a, (iv) 1b, (v) 2 and (vi) 3 in the last 12 months; [315423]
(2) what the average weekday vehicle delay in minutes per 10 miles was on the anti-clockwise M25/A282 between junctions (a) 3, (b) 2, (c) 1b, (d) 1a, (e) 31 and (f) 30 and junctions (i) 2, (ii) 1b, (iii) 1a, (iv) 31, (v) 30 and (vi) 29 in the last 12 months. [315424]
Chris Mole: Estimates for the average vehicle delay between each of the M25/A282 junctions above during the period December 2008-November 2009 are provided in the following table.
| Road section | Average vehicle delay (minutes per 10 miles) |
The dataset used to derive these estimates is primarily for operational use and does not undergo the same level of quality assurance as the dataset used to monitor progress against the Department for Transport's public service agreement indicator on journey time reliability on the strategic road network.
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what the average weekday vehicle delay in minutes per 10 miles was in respect of the slowest 10 per cent. of journeys on the clockwise M25/A282 between junctions (a) 29, (b) 30, (c) 31, (d) 1a, (e) 1b and (f) 2 and junctions (i) 30, (ii) 31, (iii) 1a, (iv) 1b, (v) 2 and (vi) 3 in respect of each 15 minute period between 6.00 am and 8.00 pm in the last 12 months; [315425]
(2) what the average weekday vehicle delay in minutes per 10 miles was in respect of the slowest 10 per cent. of journeys on the anti-clockwise M25/A282 between junctions (a) 3, (b) 2, (c) 1b, (d) 1a, (e) 31 and (f) 30 and junctions (i) 2, (ii) 1b, (iii) 1a, (iv) 31, (v) 30 and (vi) 29 in respect of each 15 minute period between 6.00 am and 8.00 pm in the last 12 months. [315426]
Chris Mole: Estimates for the average vehicle delay for the slowest 10 per cent. of journeys between each M25/A282 junction above, for each 15-minute period between 6.00 am and 8.00 pm during the period December 2008-November 2009 have been placed in the House Libraries.
The dataset used to derive these estimates is primarily for operational use and does not undergo the same level of quality assurance as the dataset used to monitor progress against the Department for Transport's public service agreement indicator on journey time reliability on the strategic road network.
Motorways: Accidents
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent research his Department and its agencies have undertaken on the average number of patrol vehicles required to attend incidents on motorways. [309453]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency is currently undertaking operational research and development to provide a new software model to identify the optimum number of traffic officer patrols required to attend incidents on motorways. This operational research and development is due for delivery towards the end of 2010.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department and its agencies collect on the clearing of motorways following road traffic incidents. [309455]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency routinely gathers the following information regarding the clearing of motorways following road traffic incidents where the Traffic Officer Service is involved in the management of the incident:
the time the incident log is created;
the time a traffic officer arrives at the scene of an incident;
the type of incident;
the time(s) that the incident scene is transferred to direct police control;
the time(s) that the incident scene is transferred from direct police control;
the time(s) that the carriageway is adversely affected by an incident, if the arrival of a traffic officer resource at the scene occurs before the time(s) that the carriageway became adversely affected;
the time that the carriageway is reopened by the Traffic Officer Service.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what data his Department and its agencies collect on the average time taken to reopen a motorway following a closure resulting from a collision. [309456]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency does not collect data on the average time taken to reopen a motorway following a closure resulting from a collision.
The Agency sets Key Performance Indicators for its Traffic Officer Service. The Key Performance Indicator for incident clearance is the most accurate proxy measure of restoring traffic flow after an incident, i.e. when the road is reopened to traffic.
The target for clear-up on heavily trafficked roads is 80 per cent. of incidents cleared within 40 minutes and 95 per cent. cleared within 90 minutes.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent estimate his Department has made of the average time taken between notification of an incident on the motorway and the reinstatement of normal traffic flow following that incident in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [309457]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency does not have the data to estimate the average time taken between notification of an incident on the motorway and the reinstatement of normal traffic flow following that incident.
The Agency has found that after most incidents have been cleared some congestion is highly likely, which diminishes over time until normal flow is resumed. This varies according to factors including the time of day and the location.
The Agency sets Key Performance Indicators for its Traffic Officer Service. The Key Performance Indicator for incident clearance is the most accurate proxy measure of restoring traffic flow after an incident, i.e. when the road is reopened to traffic.
The target for clear-up on heavily trafficked roads is 80 per cent. of incidents cleared within 40 minutes and 95 per cent. cleared within 90 minutes.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to improve arrangements for communication between traffic officers and the police in respect of traffic incidents on the motorway. [309462]
Chris Mole: On-road traffic officers and the police utilise the Airwave radio service to communicate at incident scenes. The police also use Airwave to communicate directly with Highways Agency regional control centres. To add to this capability, the agency is progressing a programme of work to co-locate police service staff at agency regional control centres.
The Highways Agency and the Association of Chief Police Officers recently launched a Traffic Incident Management Guidance Framework, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of both parties when managing motorway incidents.
Regular multi-agency exercises test operational capability, capture lessons learned and improve working relationships between the Highways Agency and other incident responders on a regional basis.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what key performance indicators have been set by his Department and its agencies for traffic officers on setting signs and signals to inform drivers of a motorway incident; and what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the system of setting signals to inform drivers of a motorway incident. [309463]
Chris Mole: Signs and signals setting by traffic officers is measured by two key performance indicators within the Highways Agency:
Signal and sign setting performance indicators
Set 90 per cent. of appropriate signs and signals within three minutes of a traffic officer/police request being received and changed/removed within two minutes.
All operators to achieve 90 per cent. pass on quality compliance checks for incident handling.
The agency is unable to fully measure the effectiveness of the system of setting signs and signals to inform drivers of a motorway incident.
But the agency has monitoring processes in place at the National Traffic Control Centre, through which it reviews the accuracy of variable message signs and puts corrective action in place when errors are identified.
The agency undertakes National Road Users Satisfaction Surveys on a regular basis which includes questions regarding the accuracy of messages shown on variable message signs. These results are used to inform improvements to accuracy of messages.
The Highways Agency information line also gathers real-time feedback from road users and is able to check the accuracy of the set signs and signals.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment his Department and its agencies have made of the effects on motorway incident clear-up times of the division of roles and responsibilities between the Highways Agency and the police; and if he will make a statement. [309464]
Chris Mole: There has been no assessment of how motorway incident clear-up times have been affected following the realignment of roles and responsibilities of the Highways Agency and the Police in 2004.
An assessment of how the realignment of the roles and responsibilities has impacted motorway clear-up times would require performance data indicative of how effectively motorway clear-up was performed prior to the realignment of roles and responsibilities. These data are not available to the Agency and therefore it is not possible to make a comparison.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken to remove a vehicle from a motorway following a collision; [309465]
(2) what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken to remove an abandoned vehicle from a motorway. [309466]
Chris Mole: Where a traffic officer arranges for a vehicle to be removed from the carriageway as part of the National Vehicle Recovery Programme, performance targets are in place.
In November 2009, 81 per cent. of light vehicles classified as 'immediate priority' were removed within 45 minutes. 99.9 per cent. of all vehicles classified as 'immediate priority' were removed within 120 minutes. 82 per cent. of light vehicles classified as 'routine' were removed within 45 minutes. 100 per cent. of all vehicles classified as 'routine' were removed within 120 minutes.
The response time information only relates to the vehicle removal component of the incident, for those incidents involving a vehicle where a traffic officer has arranged for removal on the Strategic Road Network. The Department for Transport does not hold response time information for those vehicles removed by the police or where the owner of the vehicle makes their own suitable recovery arrangements.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what key performance indicators his Department has set in respect of the duration of motorway closures following traffic incidents; and what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the time taken to re-open a motorway after such an incident. [309467]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency has set key performance indicators for the traffic officer service in respect of incident response times and incident clearance times.
The Agency has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the incident time-line. These include loan of collision investigation equipment to the police, introduction of the Traffic Incident Management Guidance Framework, Enhanced Incident Support Units, availability of specialist equipment and resources and the National Vehicle Recovery Contract.
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what key performance indicators have been set by his Department and its agencies for traffic officers in respect of incident clear-up times on motorways following traffic incidents. [309471]
Chris Mole: The Highways Agency has set the following key performance indicators in respect of incident clear-up times on motorways following traffic incidents:
Incident clearance times performance indicators( 1)
Between 6 am and 10 pm on heavily trafficked roads, clear 80 per cent. of immediate graded(2) incidents from all live lanes within 40 minutes.
Between 6 am and 10 pm on lightly trafficked roads, clear 80 per cent. of immediate graded incidents from all live lanes within 45 minutes.
Between 6 am and 10 hrs on heavily trafficked roads, clear 95 per cent. of immediate graded incidents from all live lanes within 90 minutes.
Between 6 am and 10 am on lightly trafficked roads, clear 95 per cent. of immediate graded incidents from all live lanes within 95 minutes.
(1) "Incident clearance" is defined and recorded where Traffic Officer Service is involved in the management of the incidents.
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