National Highways

Highways Agency logo

The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in the United Kingdom. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England. It operates a variety of information services, liaises with other government agencies as well as providing staff to deal with incidents on their roads.

History and operations

The agency was created on 30 March 1994. The current Chief Executive, Graham Dalton, took up his post on 30 June 2008. Prior to joining the agency he was a director at the Department for Transport, responsible for the delivery of major rail investment projects including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and Thameslink. He replaced the previous Chief Executive, Archie Robertson.

The Agency is responsible for operating the strategic road network in England which consists of most motorways and the important A roads. It has a length of 6,500 miles (10,461 km), which accounts for 33% of all road travel and 50% of lorry travel. Most lower grade roads are the responsibility of local authorities.

The Highways Agency network is split into 14 operational areas, which are managed and maintained by agents, often a joint venture between a civil engineering consultancy and contractor. In addition, there are ten sections of road that are managed by DBFO contracts separate from the area teams, such as the A30 east of Exeter and the M40 and three toll roads.

Traffic Officers

Template:Distinguish2 In April 2004, Highways Agency Traffic Officers (HATO) began working alongside police on motorways in the West Midlands. They work alongside the police in England in an attempt to reduce congestion caused by incidents. Overall it was estimated to cost the UK economy £3 billion a year with the closure of one lane estimated at up to £400,000 an hour. The introduction of the officers was aimed to reduce the 25% of delays caused by collisions by around 5%. The roll out of traffic Officers was completed on 18 July 2006 and they now cover the whole of the majority of the motorway network within England, ie that owned or managed by the Highways Agency. Traffic Officers patrol the motorway network using high-visibility patrol vehicles. They are supported by Incident Support Units (ISU). Traffic Officers maintain contact with the Regional Control Centre (RCC) via Sepura TETRA hand-held digital radios, equipped with GPS.

Incidents

Between 1 December 2007 and 30 November 2008, HATOs patrolled 2,025 miles (3,259 km) of (Highways Agency owned) motorways and selected trunk roads across England, every hour of every day and attended over 281,000 incidents, an average of one incident every two minutes.

HATOs attend incidents ranging from breakdowns to minor Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) releasing the police motorway patrols to concentrate on criminality activities on the motorway network and serious RTCs.

At serious RTCs, the police take control of the incident and will generally be assisted by HATOs, making use of the Regional Control Centre (RCC) for setting of electronic traffic signs. A "silver" command will be established at the RCC to manage the incident from the Highways Agency's perspective, controlled by a duty operations manager.

Vehicles

HATOs use 4x4 vehicles for patrol duties. Such vehicles are used mainly for their ability to tow, or carriageway clear, broken-down or disabled vehicles to a place of safety if needed. 4x4 vehicles can remain mobile in flood or snow conditions, as well as being able to carry the large amount of safety, first aid, and recovery equipment that the patrols use. Such vehicles also have the advantage of visibility – their size makes them more visible to other motorists when stationary on the hard shoulder. All of the vehicles are liveried with yellow and black Battenburg markings; equipped with a Sepura vehicle mounted TETRA digital radio; hands-free mobile telephone; have the benefit of red and amber LED lightbars and additional LED lights. When travelling on the hard shoulder, vehicles will use front and rear facing amber lighting. When stationary on hard shoulder vehicles will illuminate rear facing amber LEDs. However, when the vehicle is working in the carriageway all the rear lights (amber and red) are displayed to act as a warning to approaching traffic. These procedures differ from Police procedures, where by the police will employ rear facing `reds' only on the hard shoulder, to identify a stationary vehicle. Whilst stationary on the hard shoulder and if a Traffic Officer feels it is necessary - due to the weather or location - they may activate the red rear lights, in addition to the amber lights. This will be noted in the Traffic Officer's pocket notebook as a dynamic risk assessment and also relayed to the RCC for entry on to the log.

Each vehicles carries 650 kg (1,430 lb) of equipment which includes traffic cones, first-aid kits, warning lights, water containers, road-clearance equipment and towing/recovery gear – all contained in a heavy steel bolted-in rack system. They also have roof warning lights and variable message signs at the rear. Normally, each patrol has a crew of two. Only team managers, or their deputies, may be single crewed - but this severely limits their capabilities.

A typical Highways Agency Traffic Officer vehicle

The traffic officers use different 4x4 vehicles, all diesel powered with automatic transmissions, with the exception of the Mitsubishi Grandis, which are used in some areas by Team Managers, as supervision vehicles. Vehicles used include: Land Rover Discovery, Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Shogun.

When first introduced into service, the Mitsubishi Shogun was operating above the vehicle maximum plated axle weight. This continued for some time and faced with the option of withdrawing from service, the HA eventually addressed this situation, with the assistance of Mitsubishi, by uprating the rear springs and therefore allowing the vehicles to be operated with the manufacturer's specification again.

Previous vehicles used included Range Rover and Nissan Pathfinder. The Pathfinder was discontinued in service once the vehicles had reached the end of their lease for operational reason as the vehicle was considered unsuitable. This was due the the vehicle stance, squat low at the rear, when carrying the HA equipment. This upset the vehicle handling and obstructed the rear vision.

HATO vehicles are leased on and 18 month / 150,000 mile contract through Lloyds leasing. In a number of regions it was identified that the mileage limitation on the contracts were inadequate and the re-negotiation of the contracts was hastily arranged. It is not unheard of for some HA vehicles to have covered 220,000 miles before being replaced.

The lighting equipment is supplied and maintained by Woodway Engineering Ltd, in Coventry, using Whelen LED light bars and auxiliary LED lights. Fitting is done by various conversion companies around the UK.

Powers

Officers must follow the directions of a police constable, and to exercise their powers, must be on duty and in uniform.

For the purposes of

• maintaining or improving the movement of traffic on a relevant road over which the traffic officer has jurisdiction

• preventing or reducing the effect of anything causing (or which has the potential to cause) congestion or other disruption to the movement of traffic on such a road,

• avoiding danger to persons or other traffic using such a road (or preventing risks of any such danger arising),

• preventing damage to, or to anything on or near, such a road,

a traffic officer may

• direct a person driving or propelling a vehicle to stop the vehicle, or to make it proceed in, or keep to, a particular line of traffic,
• for the purposes of a traffic survey of any description which is being carried out on or in the vicinity of a road, to direct a person driving or propelling a vehicle to stop the vehicle, or to make it proceed in, or keep to, a particular line of traffic, or to proceed to a particular point on or near the road on which the vehicle is being driven or propelled (subject to the restriction in section 35(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52)),
• to direct persons on foot (or such persons and other traffic) to stop,
• to direct a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, or riding a cycle, on a road to stop the vehicle or cycle,
• to place temporary traffic signs and cones on a road.
• HA traffic officers do not have any powers of detention; to search, issue fixed penalties or report for summons for any motoring offence.

Assaulting, resisting or wilfully obstructing an officer are offences. It is also an offence to impersonate an officer, or for an officer to claim they enjoy more powers than they do.

Drivers are obliged by the Traffic Management Act 2004 to comply with the directions given by officers. This is explained in rule 108 of the Highway Code.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers have powers to stop vehicles on most motorways and some 'A' class roads, in England only. If HA traffic officers in uniform want to stop your vehicle on safety grounds (e.g. an insecure load) they will, where possible, attract your attention by

• flashing amber lights, usually from behind
• directing you to pull over to the side by pointing and/or using the left indicator

You MUST then pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Then switch off your engine. It is an offence not to comply with their directions.

Vehicle Recovery

Starting in 2009, Traffic Officers will have the powers to directly arrange recovery of abandoned, broken down or damaged vehicles. Previously this facility was arranged through the respective local Police forces but, in accordance with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) transfer of responsibilities, the Highways Agency gained the relevant powers in 2008. The use of recovery powers will be in accordance with strict guidance and instructions.

In October 2008, FMG Support were appointed as the Highways Agency's National Vehicle Recovery Manager (NVRM). The NVRM will act as the Highways Agency's liaison with the recovery operators, who will be appointed to recovery vehicles as instructed.

The powers to allow Traffic Officers to remove vehicles are detailed in "The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Traffic Officers) (England) Regulations 2008"

In circumstances where motorists cannot make suitable private arrangements, Traffic Officers will be able to offer motorists a "facilitated recovery". The NVRM is appointed to arrange recovery of the motorists vehicle. Motorists have two hours to make suitable arrangements. Under Section 99 of the Road Traffic Act 1984, if this time lapses a "statutory removal" can be invoked. Vehicles that are in a dangerous location or causing an obstruction - can also be statutorily removed under Section 99, regardless of how long the vehicle has been on the hardshoulder. The NVRM will undertake the arrangement of any recovery. There are strict controls about the use of statutory removals.

Organisation

National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC)

The Highways Agency operates the National Traffic Control Centre, which is the information hub of the English strategic road network.

The £160 million centre is based at Quinton near Birmingham and is responsible for providing accurate, real-time information to the driving public. It collects information from MIDAS electronic loops in the road surface, CCTV cameras, and over 250 operational partners including the police and local authorities.

It then disseminates this information to the public using 2,500 roadside variable-message signs and the Traffic England website and the telephone based Highways Agency Information Line (HAIL) as well as distributing information to the media. Together with Transport for London it also operates a digital radio station, Traffic Radio, which is available via DAB and the Internet.

Area teams

The motorway network is divided in to "Areas". They are contracts that are awarded by the Department for Transport. The Area Teams work alongside the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service - providing incident support, emergency traffic management and infrastructure maintenance. They are responsible for the management and operation of the roads in their area .

Regional Control Centres (RCC)

Traffic Officers are supported by seven Regional Control Centres across England, some of which are jointly staffed by the police and the Highways Agency. The control centres answer the orange emergency roadside telephones on the motorway and trunk road network, liaise with breakdown organisations, allocate Traffic Officers to incidents, control the electronic variable-message signs on the roads and supply information to the NTCC.

Region	Regional Control Centre	Outstations
West Midlands	Quinton	Hilton Park Longbridge (M40, Jct 15) Ansty Strensham (M5 Jct 7-8)
South West	Avonmouth	Almondsbury (M5 Jct 16) Chelston (M5 Jct 26) Stanton St Quinton (M4 Jct 17)
South East	Godstone	Easton Lane (M3 Jct 9) Weatherhill (M23 Jct 8-9) Coldharbour Dartford (and East Region) Heston (and East Region)
East	South Mimms	Whittlesford Toddington Milton Common Chieveley (M4 Jct 13) Dartford Heston South Mimms
East Midlands	Nottingham Business Park, Nottingham	Felley Shepshed Watford Gap
North West	Rob Lane, Newton-le-Willows	Rob Lane (M6 J22 to J23) Lowhurst Millness Samlesbury Milnrow Knutsford
North East	Calder Park, Wakefield	Calder Park Carville Barton Hartshead Moor Sprotbrough

Staff

The Highways Agency employs uniformed Traffic Officers; on-road and control room, as well as specialist staff for work in engineering, surveying, accountancy, and administration. There is a graduate entry scheme, with general entry and specialist engineering entry options. Each team is supervised by a Team Manager, one of between six and eight such managers generally working together, to ensure 24 hour management cover.

Template:UK Highways Agency rank insignia It is currently under consideration to replace the current red and blue epualettes with dark blue.

Traffic England

Traffic England is the Highways Agency brand for traffic information. Currently there are three public channels delivering information on the Highways Agency's road network: a web site at trafficengland.com, a digital radio station, and a telephone service.

The Traffic England web site gives you the latest traffic conditions as well as details of any roadworks or events that may cause congestion. By selecting current motorway information you can see the average speed between individual motorway junctions, what is being displayed on all the variable-message signs, and images from traffic cameras. You can also download your own traffic ticker so the latest traffic news appears straight on your own desktop.

See also

• Transport Scotland
• Department of Economy and Transport in Wales
• Roads Service Northern Ireland
• London Streets
• Off-Network Tactical Diversion Route
• Design Manual for Roads and Bridges
• Concrete step barrier

External links

• Official website
• Traffic Radio
• Traffic England - live traffic information from the HA including delays, roadworks, roadside message signs

Video clips

• Highways Agency YouTube channel