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Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions.
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The Project Control Framework
On 1st April 2008 we launched the Project Control Framework. The Framework sets out how we, together with the Department for Transport, manage and deliver major improvement projects.
Free Traffic Information Seminars
Helping your business get its customers, drivers and goods where they should be, on time and stress-free.
Capability Assessment Toolkit 3
Introducing new and challenging indicators in the area of corporate social responsibility.
Efficiency Gains from Collaborative Roads Procurement
Delivering efficiency and best value is central
National Guidance Framework 2007
A full version of this document is avialable in PDF format below:
Executive Summary
The Government continues to be a driving force for Transport initiatives across the country. The introduction of the Traffic Management Act 2004, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and new Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets continue to influence and define the relationship between road network authorities. The Agency has responded by delivering a number of schemes that are fundamental in meeting the requirement of the Acts and two of the Government's key PSA targets - making journeys more reliable by reducing congestion and improving road safety.
The Agency has already commissioned the National Traffic Control Centre to provide up-to-date traffic information for the motorway and trunk road network. Technology is being extended to provide information to road users, particularly to inform them of abnormal road conditions, and where possible, offer them a choice of route.Individual Local Traffic Authorities (LTAs) have also responded to these drivers with the introduction of schemes and information systems and by improving cross border coordination.
Provisions were made in the Traffic Management Act for the Agency to assume some of the traffic management functions on motorways and trunk roads from the Police. Consequently, a national network of Regional Control Centres, which are operated in partnership with the Police, and the Agency's Traffic Officer Service, has been established to assist in the management of planned and unplanned events on the network.
In addition, authority has been given to the Secretary of State to designate a Traffic Officer to have jurisdiction over roads within the Local Authority Network, subject to the direction of the responsible chief police officer or the consent of the traffic authority for the road. The Traffic Management Act also places a network management duty on LTAs to manage their road network with a view to achieving two objectives:
- Secure expeditious movement of traffic on their network and
- Facilitate the same on the network of others
Each LTA must appoint a Traffic Manager to be responsible for implementing the provisions of the Act as they apply to the local authority. The Agency has responded in a similar manner to LTAs and appointed the Area Performance Managers (APMs) to undertake an equivalent role. Building on this, the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places an obligation on the Agency as a secondary responder to plan and prepare, in liaison with Local Authorities, the Police and other primary responders, to deal with emergencies.
This includes disruption to transport and any consequential welfare effects on the public. The Agency has established a policy for the identification, establishment and maintenance of tactical diversion routes using LTA roads when required to minimise delays and congestion caused by incidents.
All contingency plans currently lack consistency with the way in which these routes are 'agreed' with stakeholders, and in the standards to which routes are documented, signed and maintained. This National Guidance Framework (NGF) has been revised to address this issue. A full version of this document is avialable in PDF format below:
