Highways Agency

Chapter 2 Customer focus

Putting customers first

Our customers include businesses, road users and those who live alongside the network or are affected by it. As a customer focussed organisation, we are committed to improving the service we provide to our customers. We value our customers' views and consult with them at a national and local level through:

• Road user and environment committees.
• Regular road users' satisfaction surveys.
• Consultation on schemes, including public inquiries.
• Feedback through the HA Information Line, website and correspondence.

The Highway Agency Information Line offers up-to-the minute information direct to our customers.

These help us to identify their priorities and areas of concern showing us where we need to improve.

We consult regularly with local authorities and Regional Planning Bodies as part of the planning process to co-ordinate road works and promote integrated transport.

As part of our commitment to better services, we produce a leaflet outlining our complaints procedure, publish a Road Users' Charter which sets out standards of service and adhere to strict government targets for replying to correspondence, consulting with road users and responding to customers.

Regional focus

The 1998 Integrated Transport White Paper brought in significant changes to all regional planning systems. The regional planning process now allows Regional Planning Bodies to make recommendations to Ministers on transport/planning with Regional Development Agencies also developing individual Economic Strategies in their areas. We are a major contributor to this process and are committed to working closely with these bodies.

Our website helps road users check conditions before they set off.

2001-02 Performance

In 2001-02 we continued to deliver a high standard of customer service through:

• Improving our website to offer more up-to-date information on road works to help travellers make better informed decisions on their journey before they leave home. This included the launch of a Video Information Highway trial in the South West to provide live traffic pictures to the public through the website, to help them judge the best times to travel.
• Providing information on delays, incidents or upcoming road works to road users, through our network of electronic Variable Message Signs (VMS). We delivered 280 VMS in 2001-02 giving a total of 878 operational signs on the network.
• Providing information on the Agency or individual schemes through exhibitions, leaflets and meetings with local residents. We were also represented at national events such as the 'Tomorrows World' exhibition held at Earls Court in June 2001. These gave the public the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about who we are and what we do.

We were also praised by a number of key stakeholders in the regional planning process, for our willingness to make changes to our working practices in order to contribute effectively.