Roadworks (Hansard, 13 April 2000)

§ Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will encourage road authorities to consult the police before roadworks are in progress about how to adjust traffic lights and other traffic control devices so as to ease traffic flow.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)
My Lords, the Government provide advice already to highways authorities and streetworks undertakers about the use of traffic lights and other traffic control measures at roadworks. If an authority considers that potential problems require it, a meeting may be held with those responsible for carrying out the work and with the police about detailed arrangements.

§ Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. Is he aware of the growing frustration and anger felt by motorists in London? Practically every street is being dug up at the moment. Despite the existence of modern technology to control such matters, little or nothing is being done to improve the flow of traffic when those works are taking place. If the noble Lord has any details relating to that, perhaps he will write to me or place in the Library any information relating to whether such measures have been successful.

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, answering Questions in this House, one cannot but be aware that there is a degree of frustration among your Lordships and, indeed, the general public in relation to roadworks, particularly in the central London area. Indeed, I sometimes think that when the history of this transitional House is written, historians will find that we have spent an awful lot of time discussing holes in the road, almost as much time as gay sex.
Nevertheless, I accept that there is a real problem in this regard. I shall send the noble Lord the advice for which he asked. I was going to say that it is called the "pink" book. This book is available from the Stationery Office and is applicable to all undertakers and others who participate. The highways authorities and undertakers are doing their best to improve the traffic flow in a period when there are substantial streetworks by the cable companies and utilities.

§ Baroness Gardner of Parkes
My Lords, is the Minister aware that although new technology has just been mentioned, in central London we still see many men with a round sign which is green on one side which says "Go" and which is red on the other and says "Stop"? Is it not possible that we could at least improve on the use of that system? If technology is used, as the cars go by it is possible to register how many are waiting on each side.

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, although the general impression is that those disruptions are present for a 285 long time, in fact most are there for an extremely short time. Therefore, quite often, very temporary measures are needed. Indeed, although, as the noble Baroness says, the portable traffic signals are vehicle-activated, there are situations where, for a short period, the traffic may be judged better by human involvement rather than by automated traffic signals.

§ Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate
My Lords, I am not sure that the police would welcome being notified every time that a hole is dug in the road. Certainly, when I was a divisional commander and somebody complained about a hole appearing in the road, my stock response was that the police would be looking into it!

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, I think it says in my briefing that these are operational matters for chief constables. My noble friend has clearly carried out his duties in that respect. This is primarily a duty for the highways authorities rather than for the police although, on occasions, the police help in relation to traffic management.

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, last week the Government announced that they were giving powers to local highways authorities to penalise utilities which overstay their welcome in carrying out roadworks. On this side of the House, we welcome that, as far it goes. But what will the Government do about local highways authorities which, as often as not, are just as guilty as utilities in overstaying their welcome on their own roads, particularly when they use their own direct labour organisations to carry out the roadworks?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, the management of highway maintenance by local authorities has been greatly improved with the additional resources for road maintenance provided by this Government as compared with the previous government, and because we have provided those finances over a three-year period rather than over a single year, thereby leading to better planning. I believe that the noble Lord will find that the majority of the increase in the digging up of roads, particularly in central London, is due to the laying of the new cable network. That was referred to by my noble friend Lord Sainsbury in the recent debate.

§ Earl Russell
My Lords, when the Minister just now referred us to the "Stationery" Office, how was he spelling it?

§ Lord Whitty
My Lords, that has left me standing.