The Highways Industry Alliance, a new collaboration of highways-related industry trade bodies and societies, has had its first full (online) meeting as an organisation.
The HIA brings together a wide range of professional bodies all with a focus on delivery:
- ARTSM,
- ITS (UK),
- IHE,
- ISA UK,
- REMA,
- BPA and
- HCTA
This comprehensive range of organisations incorporates delivery work on signs, signals and control, highways asset management, all forms of technology and training, skills and qualifications.
All these bodies have agreed to work together to share their knowledge and expertise for the good of the sector.
'The group’s aim is to make it easier for large public sector organisations such as the Department for Transport, Highways England and devolved governments to have a single point of contact with those organisations involved,' HIA said in a statement.
'The Highways Industry Alliance is a broad church and we have worked hard to identify the diverse parties that have a common interest in seeing a close liaison between users, industry and government,' said ITS (UK) secretary general, Jennie Martin.
'Our associations and bodies consist of companies across all tiers - large corporations, SMEs and individuals.'
'We believe we can contribute to the government Industrial Strategy and SME Agenda,' added Steve Spender, CEO of the IHE.
'We also think that contractual practices can often disadvantage small firms in the supply chain and that we can offer these organisations a voice.'
Kealie Franklin, general secretary of ARTSM commented: 'Such a UK forum can only be beneficial in future consultations for transport change, being able to prepare our members and provide guidance and support for the government strategies in the ways that only we can.'
The HIA welcomes anyone in the sector wishing to get involved and stressed that it is not its intention to be seen as being in competition with any other organisations within the sector.
It said that 'collaboration across different member organisations provides a forum to aid the Government in making decisions for the good of the entire sector and, ultimately, the travelling public'.
Picture: clockwise from top left, Jennie Martin, Paul Hutton (ITS (UK)), Steve Spender, Peter Dipper (HCTA), Mark Pleydell (ARTSM) and Kealie Franklin at their virtual meeting.
