Radical congestion-busting measures were unveiled today by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling.
The Traffic Management Bill will give the Highways Agency and local authorities in England and Wales far-reaching new powers and responsibilities to keep roads clear, minimise the disruption caused by road works, and keep traffic moving.
Announcing the legislation, Alistair Darling said:
"The Traffic Management Bill will give the Highways Agency and councils powers and a duty to keep roads clear and traffic moving. They will now have to focus more sharply on tackling causes of congestion and disruption.
"New powers for councils to manage when and where street works are carried out will put an end to congestion caused by poorly planned and lengthy works. Neighbouring authorities will be required to work together to keep traffic flowing across the network.
"The Highways Agency will get powers to manage motorway incidents which will mean motorists caught in traffic due to road accidents or obstructions should benefit from a more targeted and faster clear-up response. Traffic Officers will be on scene following road incidents to work with police to clear the road as quickly as possible. These new powers, as well as new traffic enforcement provisions for councils will also free up police time, allowing them to concentrate on their other priorities."
The Bill contains five key elements:
Management of motorway incidents
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The Highways Agency uniformed jam buster patrols will take over responsibility from the police for getting traffic moving after road incidents or breakdowns.
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The Secretary of State will establish Regional Control Centres to monitor and manage traffic on the network.
Traffic management
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Each local authority will appoint a Traffic Manager responsible for keeping traffic moving.
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Should an authority fail in this task, a Traffic Director appointed by the Secretary of State, could take over traffic management in the authority.
Control of street works
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Councils will be given greater control over when and where utility companies carry out street works to minimise disruption. They will have powers to specify which route road works should follow and decide what day of the week and at what times works can be carried out.
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They will be given new powers to prevent roads from being dug up repeatedly by banning works on a particular road until a specified date. Any utility company wanting to carry out street works will be required to apply for a permit to do so
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Utility companies failing to repair a road properly will face fines of up to £5,000 and be required to rectify previous poor work.
Civil enforcement of driving and parking offences
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Local authorities will take over certain traffic enforcement roles from the police, such as enforcing box junction rules.
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Parking enforcement powers will also be strengthened. Government can direct a local authority to apply for greater parking enforcement powers.
London
The Bill will bring significant benefits to the capital:
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TfL will co-ordinate traffic management between boroughs and other traffic authorities. The Bill will allow for the operation of a single London-wide permit scheme covering all types of works in the street.
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Where boroughs fail, a Traffic Director could be appointed to intervene.
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The Bill extends the network of roads over which TfL may have powers.
Notes to editors
1. Full details of the Traffic Management Bill can be found on the UK Parliament website, at www.parliament.uk
2. Photographs of the new Traffic Officer uniforms and new car livery are available on request from Department for Transport press office and by visiting the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk
3. Provisions for the creation of the Highways Agency's traffic officer service have been developed in response to a review of roles and responsibilities in managing the strategic road network, commissioned jointly by the Highways Agency and the Association of Chief Police Officers. That report was published in June 2003, and detailed the case for transferring a range of traffic management tasks from the police to the Highways Agency. Copies can be found on the Highways Agency's website, at www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/corpdocs/r_and_r/2003/index.htm
4. Provisions in the Bill to improve controls over works in the street amend the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and the Highways Act 1980, under which most of the present regime exists. Most of the details of the new arrangements will be set out in regulations once the Bill becomes law.
5. Powers to charge utility companies 'lane rental', for each day of disruption that their works cause, already exist under the Transport Act 2000. The Traffic Management Bill does not alter these powers, other than to provide that they can be extended to cover skips, scaffolding and building materials when they occupy the highway.
6. The powers for greater civil enforcement of parking and moving traffic offences exist already in London under the London Local Authorities Act 2000, and the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003. This Bill will extend those powers to cover the rest of England and Wales.
