Road Signs (Hansard, 22 July 1997)

§ Ms Glenda Jackson

I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 22 July 1997: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent question asking what arrangements exist for the cleaning and maintenance of road signs on roads for which the Highways Agency is responsible; and if he will review these requirements to take account of older road users. 497W The Highways Agency is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Trunk Road Network and signs on these roads are cleaned and maintained by Term Contractors under the direction of our Managing Agents. In some areas Local Authorities are our Managing Agents and in others the service is provided by Consulting Engineers. Our requirements for cleaning and inspecting signs are detailed in Volume 8 of our Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and in our Routine Maintenance Management System. In summary they are:- Safety Patrols and Inspections are undertaken at frequent intervals and defects which constitute an immediate danger to the public are rectified within 24 hours. Inspections to detect failure of lamps and their control mechanism are made at monthly intervals. Annual inspections are undertaken to check if foliage is obscuring signs. Every two years the condition of all signs is checked. Signs are cleaned on an "as required" basis but not less frequently than every three years. The need varies greatly between different locations. These requirements for cleaning and inspecting signs are being reviewed taking account of the needs of older road users. At this stage it is not possible to say when this review will be completed or whether the standards I have described will be amended.