Effective road and traffic management

Written evidence from ADEPT (ETM 12)

The House of Commons Transport Select Committee is looking to examine how roads and traffic can be better managed in order reduce congestion, encompassing both the major road network and urban roads, written evidence has been requested on:

The prevalence and impact of traffic congestion and likely future trends:

· The extent to which the Government and local authorities should intervene to alleviate congestion and the best means of doing so.

· The extent to which road user culture and behaviour undermines effective traffic management, including the relevance to today’s road users of the Highway Code.

· Intelligent traffic management schemes, such as the scheme operated on the M42, and their impact on congestion and journey times.

· The effectiveness of legislation provision for road management under the New Roads and Street Works Act and the Traffic Management Act 2004.

ADEPT Response

The existing highway network has a finite capacity and so the projected growth of population and vehicle ownership in future years must inevitably lead to concerns about traffic congestion given the limited opportunity to build new roads. With this background any move to reduce congestion would have to be grounded in a strategy that linked better use of the existing road space, the use of technology to manage traffic and inform travellers, improved driver behaviour and continued encouragement of modal shift and changes in working practices. On top of this there must be greater collaboration between Local Highway Authorities and the Highways Agency to improve the resilience of the total road network in collaboration rather than isolation.

One key area for the management of congestion is proper and appropriate consideration during the planning process. Where the two tier structure of Local Government exists it means that the Local Highway Authority is only a statutory consultee in the planning process. The judgement regarding the balance between the value of the development and its impact on the local highway network is with the Local Planning Authority. The Traffic Management Act places a duty on the Local Transport Authority to ensure the expeditious movement of traffic but this duty does not lie with second tier authorities where they exist. Consideration should be given to investigating this relationship and a possible role for the Traffic Manager, a statutory role in the Traffic Management Act, in having the power of veto on a planning permission or, alternatively ensuring that the Traffic Management Act Duties apply to Planning Authorities as well.

Turning to the existing situation, anecdotal evidence suggests that for the majority of road congestion is a time limited impact based around either peak demand for road space or the impact of planned or unplanned events, although there are also seasonal effects in those areas that are popular tourist destinations. However, this congestion comes at a significant cost to UK plc and society needs to work together to find solutions that can, at the very least, limit these implications. Work undertaken in Manchester and in Cambridgeshire to look at the benefits of charging for the use of road space at critical periods of the day showed significant potential benefits in terms of controlling congestion, however, the public and political will has not been there to look at revised funding models that would support this approach. The real challenge is that to move to a charging model without increasing the perceived contribution to highways through such things as road tax, fuel duty and VAT would require a different tax model that recognises the contribution that these taxes make to other services that the community enjoy.

Government and local authorities need to play a key role as community leaders help alleviate congestion. This may take the form of using professional experience to improve the use of road space though solutions such as innovative junction design, using lanes in different directions to recognise and mitigate tidal flows into and out of major conurbations, managed motorways, and enhanced provision for specific modes of transport such as buses or cycles. It is important to recognise that no one solution fits all communities and environments and so the Government and local authorities need to take a lead in identifying what the most appropriate solution is for any given situation.

For planned events, such as roadwork’s the key element is timing. Careful consideration of the impact of any reduced capacity on the network and the timing of that reduced capacity is key to limiting the impact on the travelling public. There are already many good examples of how the Highways Agency, local authorities and Statutory Undertakers adjust the timing of their works to limit the impact on the network and the use of tools such as lane rental has helped develop this line of thinking. However, there is still further work that could be done in this area to ensure that the impact of works on the traveller is fully considered in the timing and duration of works.

For planned events off the highway, such as football matches or concerts, detailed traffic management plans have been in existence for some time and the general practice of mitigating the impact of those travelling to and event on the rest of the travelling community through plans and management on the day has been successful in the majority of cases. The cost of managing traffic, in all its guises, for such events is not small and should be carried by the event itself rather than passed onto the Police and the Highway Authority.

Turning to unplanned events there is a need to significantly reduce the time over which such unplanned events are affecting the network. Clearly, emergency events such as gas leaks need to be addressed as a matter of urgency and the statutory undertaker needs to ensure that their equipment is made safe and does not present further risk to the public. But the removal of broken down vehicles and the impacts of road traffic accidents on the rest of the travelling public need to be examined. The current approach identified in the Police Investigation Manual results in roads being shut for considerable periods of time while the Police investigate a crime scene. Clearly, it is important that the Police are able to collect all the evidence they need but there are examples of technology being used to reduce the time that the travelling public are inconvenienced which need to be considered further. We need to review how other countries deal with unplanned incidents such as breakdowns and road traffic accidents to see if we can reduce the time that the network is restricted. The Highways Agency is already undertaking some actions such as using screens in an attempt to reduce the impact of rubber necking at accident sites.

In the urban environment driver behaviour can have a significant impact on congestion. Inappropriate parking, especially around junctions causes difficulties across the country. As well as causing difficulties for larger vehicles such as buses there is also a safety issue with the potential difficulties caused to fire engines and similar. Whilst this issue could be addressed by the implementation of many Traffic Regulation Orders and the associated enforcement improved driver behaviour and adherence to the advice in the Highway Code would be a cheaper solution.

Many of the driver behaviours that cause congestion are the result of impatience and haste. The use of average speed cameras on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge has had a marked effect on both the congestion and the accident rate on that road and variable speed limits on the M25 has been similarly successful. Impatience at traffic signals and roundabouts are equally damaging in the urban environment and the potential solution to this is the delivery, by the Department for Transport, of the power to enforce moving traffic offences to local authorities. This is a key element of the Traffic Management Act that has not been implemented but could have a significant effect on congestion in urban areas.

As technology moves forward more work must be done in this area to assist drivers in their decision making. Whether it be checking proximity to adjacent vehicles to avoid collisions, enhanced congestion advice or the use of data to help travellers change their mode on specific journeys based on real time comparative information. There is already significant investment in information technology for the strategic road network but there are real opportunities to look at the "last five miles" of journeys and see if this is an area where congestion can be managed. As well as improving reliability for individuals journeys and for such things as just in time deliveries work in this area could have a significant impact on bus punctuality and, therefore, assist with modal shift.

In general terms the Traffic Management Act has been a successful piece of legislation, although it has not been cost neutral to Local Highway Authorities as originally envisaged. It has highlighted the importance of managing congestion and has been a vehicle that ADEPT members have used to encourage the sharing of best practice. The take up of Permit Schemes, to better co-ordinate works on the highway has not been universally taken up. Authorities, such as Kent, have made good use of the opportunity but the investment required to implement these schemes, the real cost to all involved and the success derived from them needs to be properly reviewed.

Local Highway Authorities need to ensure that any emergency works, undertaken by either a Statutory Undertaker or themselves truly is emergency works rather than an attempt to bypass the road space booking and works co-ordination system. In addition Statutory Undertakers and Highway Authorities need to work closely together to ensure that opportunities to minimise disruption through joint working and through enhanced reinstatements are not missed.

In summary, the ability to have reliable transport links is a crucial enabler to a successful society. The cost of delay and disruption on the highway network is significant and is carried by the tax payer either through increased prices or reduced quality of service. The understanding of the cost of congestion amongst professionals has increased significantly over the last decade and working practices have adjusted to minimise the impact of planned events and to encourage modal shift and changing working practices, such as home working and flexible hours. There is still some work to be done in reducing the impact of unplanned events on the network and in particular the significant periods of time that a road can be closed as a result of a serious or fatal personal injury accident. The use of technology needs to be further investigated to ensure that its full potential is realised both as a decision making tool both before and during a journey. It is important that congestion that affects the last five miles of a journey is considered as further solutions are developed. The use of technology can play a very important part in this, particularly in medium to large conurbations but this will require investment and new models to deliver that investment need to be investigated further.

Finally, there are some simple actions that everybody can take to both improve the health and well being of the community and reduce congestion. Encouraging walking and cycling for short journeys, varying opening times for shops, businesses and schools, changing the way appointments are organised at Hospitals would all make their own small contribution to reducing congestion within urban areas. However, experience has shown that linking these sorts of changes to the benefits of the community with the individuals needs can be difficult and in many communities across the country we are yet to find the level of congestion that would lead to such an approach.

January 2011