Street works impact guidance 'stuck in the past'

UK-wide guidance on safety at street works and road works needs to be ‘turned on its head’ to give greater consideration to the needs of cyclists and pedestrians, the Scottish Road Works Commissioner has said.

Speaking at Road Expo Scotland, Kevin Hamilton said that while data from sources like Google Maps on the impact of roadworks on traffic such as buses and cars ‘is actually quite good’, he was quite keen to get more real-time information for people who are not in cars.

He said: ‘We have to change our thinking in terms of who we’re catering for. It’s actually more about people who are walking, cycling, disabled people, and so we need to get more relevant, real-time information available for them so they can plan their journeys as well.’

Mr Hamilton was asked what he intended to do in response to a forecasted increase in work on footways, which is likely to have a significant impact on disabled people and whether he had enough information on this.

He replied: ‘I would like to get more evidence of the impact, which might then be a better lever for improving performance among, particularly, some of the poorer performing roads authorities and utilities. I think both create issues for pedestrians, disabled people.'

He added that poor traffic management of apparent minimal impact to some could be the difference between a wheelchair or a visually impaired person getting to their destination or not.

Mr Hamilton added: ‘In terms of what is coming down the line, there is a plan to revisit and review the code of practice on safety at street works and road works – that is a code that is currently in the hands of Westminster, the DfT. I’m very keen to change the whole hierarchy through that review because at the moment it’s very focused on reducing congestion, reducing delays, and minimising the impact on motorised road users. It feels at times that some of the stuff around vulnerable road users is tacked on.

‘The world has moved on since that was developed and it really should be turned on its head in my opinion. And it should follow the sustainable travel hierarchy and it should put pedestrians, and cyclists at the top of that hierarchy – consider them first. And that might be at the expense of people in motorised vehicles.'