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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
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Capability Assessment Toolkit 3
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Delivering efficiency and best value is central
Traffic Incident Management Partnership Group
December 2007
The Traffic Officer Service is now working at full capability across all parts of England on the Highways Agency's motorway network and selected all purpose trunk roads. The Highways Agency has therefore established itself as a traffic incident responder and is continuing to gain credibility in the field. This article gives a brief overview of a new partnership group being formed to assist with the move forwards to the next stage of the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Development Strategy.
The TIM Development Strategy
The Highways Agency's vision for traffic incident management is:
‘To be a respected world class traffic incident manager, continuously improving our capabilities and working in partnership with other responders to provide a reliable and safe network, minimising the impact of incidents and delivering the high quality service expected by our customers'.
The strategy establishes the following objectives:
- Establish an integrated traffic incident management capability within the Highways Agency and its Service Providers.
- Engender a culture of safety within incident responders and the wider public.
- Develop the services and capabilities of the Highways Agency to deliver a reduction in incident related congestion.
- Actively involve other emergency services and responders in a collaborative partnership.
- Reduce the impact and frequency of collisions on both the road users and the wider community.
How does the TIM Partnership Group fit in?
The diagram below shows the journey the Highways Agency will make to achieve the above vision.
The Highways Agency has developed the Traffic Officer Service as an incident responder and gained credibility in traffic incident management. Important elements that contribute to being a credible traffic incident manager include: collaboration and co-operation with other responders, delivering a learning environment and the sharing of information and intelligence. This credibility can only be achieved over time and has to be 'earned' and maintained.
Full and longer term benefits can only be achieved through working with other responders and is represented on the diagram as 'Partnering'. The Highways Agency is already partnering with other responder organisations at an operational level, but needs to do so at a strategic level. This is what the partnership group will enable.
The Partnership Group
The group will be formed initially between the Highways Agency and the Police to develop incident management 'joint working'. Subsequently other incident responders will also be incorporated into the group.
The key aims and objectives are to enable a mutual achievement of:
- reduced road-user casualty rate
- improving responder safety
- reduced clearance times
- reduced congestion
- reduced responder times engaged in managing collisions
- enhanced traffic incident management planning and preparation
- improved communications to customers and media
At all stages there should be a win-win benefit to all partners within the group. This will assist in obtaining high level management commitment and indeed active support for the group. Ultimately the 3 C's of incident management will be critically important, communication, co-operation and co-ordination.
There will be working groups formed to produce and collate good practice, guidance, advice and relevant agreements. The working groups are likely to be activity focussed for example; collision investigation, traffic management tactics, communication or training/exercising. The Partnership Group will interface with various existing forums and groups. The relationship between the group and some key existing police forums is illustrated on the below diagram.
The partnership group will also be aiming to assist in the smooth delivery and maximisation of benefit for projects such as Airwave to Service Providers and collision investigation equipment.
The Future
The group is currently under development but will start to influence traffic incident management early in 2008. The core group members have been appointed however individuals to join the various working groups will be identified in the near future. The TIM Bulletin will keep you up to date with the output from this group and how this could change traffic incident management on the Highway Agency's network.
Has this article been worthwhile reading? Why not take a moment to send us your comments, thoughts or questions. Please e-mail TIMbulletin@highways.gsi.gov.uk.
