TRI Director provides valuable input to review of streetworks – how and when utility companies dig up the road - being carried out for Scottish Ministers and finds that new powers available in England have cut delays and congestion from roadworks.
Date posted
29 March 2016
The Transport Minister Derek Mackay has commissioned an independent review of the current system of managing the timing and quality of works in the road carried out by utility companies and by roads authorities themselves. In England and Wales newer laws apply to this work that give roads authorities greater powers over when and how the utility companies occupy the roads. Professor Tom Rye, TRI Director, produced a short briefing note reviewing the current evidence on the effectiveness of these powers in England and Wales. The evaluation reports of Permit and Lane Rental Schemes indicate that these have cut the numbers of days when utility companies occupy the roads for roadworks, and have cut congestion on the days when they do work. The briefing note is available to view - see attachment.