HC Deb 24 January 2002 vol 378 c1043W
Dr. Naysmith

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 January 2002,Official Report, column 204W, on traffic signs, (1) whether the conditions under which the 1989 Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project were conducted met the standards that are required for similar research undertaken by his Department today; [29719]

(2) what lessons were learned from the Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project of 1989; [29718]

(3) whether the Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project was conducted in a car park; [29720]

(4) what assessment he has made of the academic rigour with which the 1989 Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project was conducted; and if he will publish it. [29721]

Ms Keeble

The Guildford Direction Signs Demonstration Project was used to trial a number of recommendations made in the report on the Direction Signs Review, published by the Stationery Office in 1987. The project was jointly administered by Surrey county council, Guildford borough council and the Department. It entailed the replacement of 420 directional signs across the town and its approaches with new versions. None of the work was carried out in car parks.

A number of ideas were tested, including improvements to the system of colour-coding routes to emphasise their status. This and other features illustrating good practice were incorporated in the revised Traffic Signs Regulations that followed in 1994 and in departmental guidance to highway authorities.

The project was carried out to standards similar to those which would apply to a comparable project today, with close involvement of the Department's own specialists. I have no reason to question the rigour with which the work was conducted. Descriptions of the project written by some of the individuals who took part were published in the technical press (Highways and Transportation Journal July 1989 and February 1990).