Highways Agency

Policy Overview

1. Summary

1.1.1 The prime objective of the Traffic Control Centre (TCC) Project is to reduce the effects of congestion on England's motorways and major trunk roads - the Core Network (see the map at the end of this section) - by informing motorists about incidents and congestion. Housed in a new building and supplementing existing equipment with new traffic sensors and variable message signs, TiS will provide traffic information and advice on wide-area diversions for Core Network traffic. The introduction of the TCC will not alter the Police Service's role of incident management on the Core Network. Safety and tactical considerations will continue to take precedence over strategic (wide-area) issues. Indeed, it is anticipated that TiS will, through strategic traffic management, help to alleviate the traffic impact at the site of an incident and thus assist the police in its incident management role.

1.1.2 The TCC Project has been developed as part of Government policy with active police participation throughout the development process.

1.1.3 To operate this facility effectively, partnership with the police is a vital element in providing service to the mutual customer, the travelling public. A positive, day-to-day close relationship with the police is crucial to the success of this project, where one of the objectives is to develop an overall resource neutral solution for the police, providing benefits in return for services.

1.1.4 The strategic management of traffic around incidents will provide benefits to the police, and the 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 around the incident by strategic diversions.
• Reducing the burden of performing ancillary functions for incident management.

1.1.5 Additional support services, providing information about traffic flows, up to date contact information and historical analysis will further contribute to effective police resource utilisation and assist in its primary role in public safety and incident management.

1.1.6 The police will be able to assist by the provision of timely incident traffic information to TiS about the nature, timing and duration of an incident, and the communications medium to achieve this will be agreed with individual forces.

1.2 Development

1.2.1 This National Guidance Framework (NGF) establishes the principles of the operational partnership required between TiS and the Police Service. It reflects the principles that ACPO recommends for adoption by individual police forces and covers issues of national significance and policy related to the operation of the TCC. It is developed from the Guiding Principles agreed between the then ACPO Traffic Committee and the HA in April 1998 (see Annex A), within the policy contexts set out below. See Annex C for a glossary of terms and abbreviations.

1.3 Adoption of Recommendations

1.3.1 While it is recommended that the general principles described in this document should be adopted nationally, changes in local conditions and circumstances will be reflected in the individual Detailed Local Operating Agreements (DLOAs), which will be made with individual police forces.

1.3.2 All parties recognise that this agreement and the subsequent DLOAs are only the start of an operational partnership relationship between TiS and the Police Service that will need to be developed and strengthened in response to operational experience.

1.4 Policy Context

1.4.1 The TCC Project has been developed by the HA to meet the objectives of the Government White Paper "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone". It also supports ACPO's Roads Policing Strategy and recognises police priorities as:

• Public Safety
• Incident management
• Crime prevention/Detection/Reduction
• Enforcement

1.4.2 The relevant HA policy objectives are:

• To develop the HA's role as network operator by implementing traffic management, network communications and other measures aimed at making best use of the existing infrastructure and facilitating integration with other transport modes.
• To take action to reduce congestion and increase the reliability of journey times.
• To minimise the impact of the core network on both the natural and built environment.
• To improve safety for all road users and contribute to the Government's new safety strategy and targets for 2010.
• To work in partnership with road users, transport providers and operators, local authorities and others affected by the HA's operations, to promote choice and information for travellers, monitoring and publishing information about the performance and reliability of the network.

1.4.3 This NGF will be continuously reviewed throughout the life of this project to assist in the achievement of joint aims of improving services to the travelling public. The review process will take account of other initiatives being developed by the Police and the HA.

1.5 Timing

1.5.1 As part of the setup phase, DLOAs should be secured by the end of August 2002. Some services, such as the operation of the Midlands Driver Information System (MDIS) and some of the Variable Message Signs (VMS) will be introduced before the full services. TCC services will be gradually introduced in the latter part of 2003 with the full operational service in place by early 2004. The TCC Agreement will conclude in August 2011 although new agreements are expected to be made that will take TCC operations beyond this period.

1.6 Operational Partners

1.6.1 For the TCC Project to achieve its objectives a close operating partnership is needed between TiS, the police and other interested parties including Local Highway Authorities (LHAs), other network operators such as the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Executive, privately financed roads, Transport for London, the media and information service providers. Similar arrangements to those with the police have been put in place with other parties.

1.7 Prime Function of the TCC

1.7.1 The prime function of the TCC is to collect, process and distribute strategic (wide-area) traffic information, including the setting of roadside variable message signs (VMS) and other dissemination media, using pre-agreed protocols, to assist travellers in planning their journeys. The TCC will also support the HA and its operational partners in optimising the use, management and operation of the network. A plan showing the extent of the network is included at the end of this section. Background information, giving further details about the TCC Project may be found in the booklet "The Highway's Agency's Traffic Control Centre Project". For availability of this document see the contact details at the end of this document (section 4).

1.8 Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

1.9 Traffic Information Services (TiS) Limited (TCC Co)

1.9.1 TCC Co is a private company retained by the HA to design, implement and operate, on its behalf, the national TCC. TCC Co's Prime Sub-Contractor is Serco Limited and, in turn, one of its sub-contractors is Halcrow Group Ltd.

1.9.2 Collectively TCC Co, Serco Limited and Serco Limited's sub-contractors are known under the consortium name of TiS. TiS will operate under policy guidance from the HA, and its contract requires it to develop and agree the operational practices described in this NGF and the subsequent DLOAs.

1.9.3 TCC Co hereby authorises Serco Limited to agree and sign on its behalf with police forces all DLOAs related to this NGF.

1.10 TCC Core Network

This diagram shows the HA's motorway and trunk road network to be operated under the TCC Project, as defined in the TCC Agreement.

Download map (330KB PDF)

1.11 Police Force Boundaries and Police Control Office (PCO) Locations

This diagram shows the boundaries of the police forces and the PCOs controlling motorways where a Control Office Base System (COBS) is installed.

Download map (0.5MB PDF)