Highways England RIS 1 assessment: Safety record tarnishes success

22/07/2020 | CHRIS AMES

Highways England has met its reduced target for the delivery of major schemes but must do more to improve safety on its network, the strategic roads regulator has said.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published its Annual Assessment of Highways England, which is subtitled ‘End of Road Period 1 [RP1] 2015-2020’, reflecting the fact that 2019/20 was the last year of the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS 1).

It said Highways England has delivered the majority of its commitments and made good progress over the first road period, but added that the original programme set out for major improvements was too optimistic.

The ORR also said the government-owned company must continue to improve safety for all road users, further involve its customers into planning and decision making, and work even more efficiently over the second road period.

Chief executive John Larkinson said: ‘Over the last five years Highways England has made very good progress and we have seen it meeting almost all of the targets it was set. We have pushed Highways England hard to deliver on safety, efficiency and meeting the needs of road users.

‘Highways England’s task is going to get bigger, as it needs to deliver a larger programme of works set out in the Government’s 2020 Road Investment Strategy, and we will continue to provide close scrutiny.’

The ORR pointed out that it had made a number of observations on the delivery risk of the RIS 1 programme, which saw substantial ‘re-planning’ from 112 schemes that were due to have started construction in the first road period to just 73, agreed with the Department for Transport.

Of these schemes, Highways England started work on 67, provided funds on two schemes for a third party to start work, and missed its commitment on four schemes.

It added that re-planning also addressed concerns it had raised over disruption to road users.

On safety, the ORR said ‘further hard work’ is required if Highways England is to meet its safety target for 2020; and further investment is needed to meet its longer-term goal, that nobody should be harmed on the network by 2040.

The regulator credited Highways England with producing ‘an enhanced focus on improving safety’ on the strategic road network (SRN) despite issuing a warning last year that ‘'The increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the strategic road network in 2018 puts the company’s delivery of its safety target at risk.'

The government-owned company has a key performance indicator to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured (KSIs) on the SRN by 40% by the end of 2020, against a baseline of the 2005-09 average.

The ORR pointed out that Highways England’s performance against this safety target will not be known until summer 2021, adding: ‘Provisional data for the first six months of the year indicates that further reductions may have been achieved in 2019, but we must wait for the publication of the data by DfT before drawing conclusions.’

It also noted that traffic on the SRN is expected to be significantly lower than previous years in 2020 and early indications that road traffic casualties have also declined, ‘which increases the likelihood that the company will meet its safety key performance indicator for RP1. However, any significant reduction in casualties in 2020 is likely to be temporary.’

”Local

The ORR said it has played a vital role to improve the transparency and quality of Highways England’s financial reporting – with the company delivering £1.4bn efficiency savings over five years. It has previously questioned the company’s claims to have delivered efficiency savings against a backdrop of cuts to schemes.

It also said it had ‘pursued an overdue backlog of structures inspections, as well as relentlessly monitoring Highways England’s work to improve road users’ experience following aspects of poor performance’.

The ORR acknowledged that Highways England had actually missed its target for road user satisfaction – achieving 89.2% at the end of RP1 against a target of 90% – but said it had ‘demonstrated an increased focus on meeting the needs of road users’.

Highways England met its target for keeping the network in good condition. At the end of RP1 pavement condition was 95.5%, above the target of 95%. The ORR described this as ‘significant progress from when the target was missed in the first two years of the road period’.

Highways England also met its RP1 targets to support the smooth flow of traffic on the network. The company’s performance was measured by two key performance indicators in this area – network availability and incident clearance.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said: 'Since 2015 we have delivered the Government’s first Roads Investment Strategy. This has supported economic growth, and the creation of housing and jobs right across England.

'It has also created new cycling routes, environmental improvements, and addressed a large number of noise and other community concerns.

'Over the next five years we will build on those outcomes with a further portfolio of investment to maintain and operate the network safely, provide new capacity where it is most needed, protect the environment and communities, and drive the economy.

'We value ORR’s feedback and will continue to work with them as we create a sustainable road network that meets the country’s future needs.'

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Capital Delivery Manager

£50,788 - £52,805
To be responsible for the implementation of Welsh Government’s Renewal and Upgrade programme. Baglan, Port Talbot
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Engineer x 2

£47,532 –£55,620 per annum
Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be. Hounslow (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Hounslow London Borough Council

Electrical Design Engineer

Grade 9 £34,314 to £37,938 - Grade 10 £37,035 to £40,476 - Grade 11 £39,513 to £43,693 - Grade 12 £42,708 to £46,731 p.a.
The Construction Consultancy Services (CCS) team provide client-side construction consultancy services across a range of professional disciplines to d Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council

Park Operations Assistant - Thorndon Country Park

Up to £12540.50 per annum
This is a permanent, part time position on an annualised hours contract. This means you will be contracted to work a minimum of 964.59 hours per yea England, Essex, Brentwood
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Senior Highways Engineer

£50,754 – £53,607 per annum
Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be. Hounslow (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Hounslow London Borough Council

Highways Capital Lead

£47,754 - £50,788
To be responsible for management of the Regional Highway Capital Delivery Teams South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Development Management Engineer

£37,938 - £44,711
In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce Coventry, West Midlands
Recruiter: Coventry City Council

Head of Highways

£66,366 - £85,284 pa
Highway Operations is a large division within the Planning, Growth & Infrastructure. Enfield (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Enfield London Borough Council

Director Highways, Transport & Waste Management

up to £120k
There for Nottinghamshire. There for each other. There for you. Nottinghamshire
Recruiter: Nottinghamshire County Council

Director of Highways and Transportation

£126,909
We’re seeking a dynamic and innovative leader to spearhead our Highways and Transportation services. Essex
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Senior Structures Technician

£32,654 - £36,124 plus circa £2000 - £4000 OT (variable
To lead on the planning, delivery and reporting of the highway structures General Inspection programme. Baglan, Port Talbot
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Assistant Director of Place Operations

£85,962 to £93,267
Bury is a proud and prosperous borough Bury, Greater Manchester
Recruiter: Bury Council

Career Grade Transport Planner (Carer Grade 6-8)

Grade 06 (£29,093 - £32,654) TO Grade 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
This is a fantastic opportunity to work for a forward thinking and dynamic transport authority located in the heart of the North West Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Performance and Assurance Manager

£Competitive
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated Principal Performance and Assurance Manager to join our Senior Management Team SBIM Avonmouth, Bristol
Recruiter: Amey

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager to join our dynamic Area 12 West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Amey

Electrician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for two Permanent Electricians Tingley, Wakefield
Recruiter: Amey

Principal Engineer – Structures Capital Delivery

£43,693 - £47,754
To act as one of the Agent's technical experts for highway structures schemes and related issues South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Engineer Programme Management

£36,124 - £39,513
To support the Principal Engineer ensuring effective co-ordination, programming and contract administration. South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent

Senior Engineer – Structures Delivery

£36,124 - £39,513
To support the Principal Engineer Structures (Capital Works) and deputise if necessary South Wales
Recruiter: South Wales Trunk Road Agent
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW