Highways Agency

Policy Detail

2.1 Evaluation Criteria

2.1.1 Benefits of Strategic Management: The strategic (wide-area) management of traffic around incidents will provide benefits to the police at the incident itself. The overall impact on police resources will be reduced by:

• TiS assuming the task of managing the traffic in the wider area around the incident.
• Minimising the impact of traffic volume at the incident by strategic diversions.
• Reducing the overall incident management burden.

2.1.2 TiS Services to the Police: TiS can provide assistance to Police Control Rooms, where requested by them, and provision is made for this within the scope of the provisions of the TCC Agreement. The scope and extent of assistance provided by TiS to each Police Control Room and the associated operational procedures and communications methods will be described in the DLOA.

• Primary Services: TiS will make the following services available to Police Control Rooms
  • Real-time Information for the Police: TiS will make available in a timely manner to police forces, for their operational use, near real-time information from its database on current events on the Core Network and any strategic responses that are in operation or are planned.
  • Other Information for the Police: TiS can provide the following data to the police. The speed of response will reflect the urgency of the need and the availability of the data.

    • Contacts information: TiS will hold comprehensive and up to date information on HA maintenance contractors, relevant contacts within Local Highway Authorities (LHAs), other police forces, and other interested parties.

    • Network Information: TiS will hold a comprehensive database on the HA's network including details of its physical attributes and traffic characteristics.

    • Information on Planned Events (including Roadworks): Relevant details of the TiS register of planned events (e.g. roadworks) on the Core Network will be available.

  • Summary Reports: Summary reports showing the performance of the network as a whole will be generated annually for ACPO. These will be derived from the network performance reports presented to the HA. Annual reports for each police force showing the performance of its local network will also be produced to assist the review process and to assist police forces in evaluating the achievement of their objectives.
  • Training: TiS will provide training for police forces in the use of equipment required for the TiS services that has been installed by TiS in any Police Control Room and the operation of interface practices and procedures. The nature, extent, timing and frequency of the training are to be agreed in the appropriate DLOA. TiS will make no charge for training. Where appropriate and reasonable, training can be given on-site for operators.
  • 24-Hour Support: TiS will provide Police Control Rooms with prompt advice on the use of the TiS equipment and procedures, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Additional Services: Areas in which TiS could additionally provide assistance, at the request of the police, include:
  • Calling Out Maintenance Agents: TiS can call out resources from the HA's Maintenance and road works contractors, or other appropriate organisations, to assist the police at incidents.
  • Assistance with Abnormal Load Movements: TiS can assist the police in the planning of abnormal load movements by providing information on expected traffic conditions and/or the location and nature of events scheduled to occur on the network in the preferred movement time window.
  • Data for the Police: TiS can make historical data on the Core Network available from its databases to the police for operational and planning purposes.
  • Setting Variable Message Signs: TiS can set incident messages according to agreed plans on the strategic VMS at the request of Police Control Rooms.
  • Major Events: Assist the police and LHAs with traffic management planning for events generating significant traffic volumes.

2.1.3 Police Control Room Services to TiS: Police Control Rooms can facilitate TiS operations through the following:

• Incident Information: Making available to TiS timely information on the location, extent, effect and expected duration of incidents on or near to the Core Network which are likely to have an impact on its operation, and updating TiS in a timely manner as the incident progresses.
• Other event Information: Making available to TiS timely information on the type, location, extent, effect and expected duration of planned operations or unusual occurrences likely to have an impact on the operation of the Core Network.
• Recognition of TCC Functions: Taking appropriate account of the operational requirements of TiS in the planning and execution of incident management and other police operations on or near to the Core Network.

2.2 Implementation

2.2.1 Operational Working arrangements: When operational, TiS operators will be working with local police forces in accordance with the DLOAs and to the guidelines laid down in this NGF. On a day-to-day basis TiS will be monitoring traffic on the network, liaising with the police and other parties and setting strategic responses where and when needed.

2.2.2 Figure 1 below illustrates the key areas for agreement for the TCC operational phase.

Figure 1 - Key Areas for DLOA Agreements for the Operational Phase

2.2.3 DLOA Development Phase: In the set-up phase of this project the principles demonstrated in this document will be further developed to reflect the individual characteristics of each police force through Detailed Local Operating Agreements (DLOAs). Agreed with each police force, these will contain specific data and operating procedures.

2.2.4 Figure 2 illustrates the process for the development of the operational partnership.

Figure 2 - Development of the Operational Partnership

2.3 Raising Awareness

2.3.1 TiS will provide a briefing on the background and purpose of the project at the first meetings with individual police forces. In return, it is expected that TiS will receive briefings from each police force on aspects of its operations and other issues that are considered to be relevant to effective operational liaison. This process will develop a mutual understanding amongst both parties of the key organisational and operational issues including the project boundaries and contacts. Annex B includes an indicative list of the type of information that TiS will request from police forces during the course of the meetings to develop the proposed DLOAs.

2.4 Police Resources

2.4.1 DLOA Discussions: Police forces are encouraged to make available suitable personnel to take part in the discussions to enable the DLOAs to be developed and agreed within a mutually determined programme. TiS will arrange the meetings and venues, provide secretarial support and will be responsible for progressing and delivering the DLOAs. The process for delivering each DLOA is shown in Annex B, but will be varied to suit local needs. Police forces are not expected to make charges to TiS or the HA for their involvement in this process.

2.4.2 Operational resources: In the development of operational procedures care will be exercised to ensure that the net effect on police resources of the operation of the TCC will as far as possible be neutral. Furthermore, wherever practical, opportunities will be taken which contribute to improved police and TiS resource utilisation and the continuous improvement of service to road users.

2.5 VMS Message Set

2.5.1 The VMS message set will follow the guidelines set out in the ACPO/HA document "The Joint ACPO & HA Policy & Procedures for the use of Variable Message Signs" available from the HA. Prioritisation of messages will be agreed nationally within the spirit of the guidelines and are outside the scope of the DLOA.

2.6 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

2.6.1 In the pursuit of a seamless collaborative delivery of services to the joint customer, the preferred approach is joint access to the HA CCTV systems by the police and TiS, as described below.

• Normal state In most circumstances both the Police and TiS will have access to CCTV images and control of cameras.

• Incident In the event of an incident where the use of monitoring cameras is important in ensuring public safety or to the resolution of the incident, the police will be able to take exclusive control over the cameras. Automatic systems are currently not available so this control will be manually released by the Police. Should TiS decide to implement an automatic system, control will be automatically released after 6 hours unless renewed. TiS will still retain access to the images.

• Security In the event that cameras are required for security of the network, for national security or for crime management reasons, the police will be able to block images to outside viewers and take exclusive control of the cameras. Automatic systems are currently not available so this control will be manually released by the Police. Should TiS decide to implement an automatic system, control will be automatically released after 24 hours unless renewed by the Police. These occasions are recognised as unusual and will be authorised only by the senior duty officer in the Police Control Room, who will inform TiS of the action (but not necessarily the reason).

2.7 Data Protection

2.7.1 It is the responsibility of TiS to demonstrate to police forces and the HA that any systems for the transfer and storage of information originating from Police Systems are in line with ACPO policy and the Data Protection Act.

2.8 Data Security

2.8.1 The information exchange process should ensure that any systems used for the transfer and storage of information are in line with BS 7799 for data security, including firewall and anti-virus protection and user-level access control. The extent of data security between TiS and the local police force will be subject to discussion under the DLOA process.

2.9 National Strategy for Police Information Systems (NSPIS)

2.9.1 TiS will work with the HA, ACPO and other relevant police organisations, including the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO), on the development of the National Strategy for Police Information Systems (NSPIS). This is to secure a standard interface between Police Command and Control Systems and the TCC, to allow the export of certain limited data. As part of this obligation, TiS will participate in discussions with the NSPIS contractor to establish the technical feasibility and requirements and with the Police Service to reach agreements regarding security and other institutional issues.

2.10 Harmonisation of Existing Strategic Traffic Management Operations

2.10.1 The HA is already working in partnership with the police on existing driver information systems, e.g. Midlands Driver Information System (MDIS), the Yorkshire Driver Information System (YDIS) and the Manchester Driver Information System (MANDIS). TiS will build on these regional systems in the implementation of the wider strategy and take responsibility for the strategic operational aspects.