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Roads: Surveying

Answer

The Government recognise the need for national data which may be used to monitor whether the condition of roads is improving or deteriorating. But there has been mounting dissatisfaction over a number of years with the quality of CHART visual surveys, which are based on judgments of conditions by engineers, and a programme of work is taking place supported by the Department and the UK Roads Board to develop more sophisticated machine-based surveys.The 2006 statistical report on road conditions stated that CHART data would not be collected in 2007 for classified roads. More extensive and detailed data would instead become available from machine scans of the road surface (SCANNER surveys), the same source used by local authorities for reporting best value performance indicators (BVPIs) on classified road condition. This same source will be used for authorities reporting against their local area agreements. The Department has commissioned research to develop appropriate methods for producing national estimates from these complex data, which should be available in 2009. At that point, it will be possible to produce several years' results at once to allow analysis of trends in the condition of classified roads.Indicators from the BVPI reporting regime were also included in the statistical report ““Road Conditions in England 2007””. These can be compared with the BVPI results which were reported in previous statistical reports.CHART visual surveys for the unclassified network continued until 2007-08, but following consultation with the LGA and with the UK Roads Board, have not been requested in 2008-09. Most local authorities rely on their own programme of inspection and asset management to determine the condition and maintenance needs of unclassified roads, and there has been a declining response rate to the request for CHART data to support the national survey, with only two-thirds of local authorities responding in 2007-08.The Road Conditions in England statistical report published in June 2008 provided members of the public and highway officers with the latest information on road conditions. The next statistical report, intended for publication in 2009, will include several years' data on classified roads. For unclassified roads, DFT will continue to work with the UK Roads Board to determine how best to measure and survey road conditions with an intention of national surveys every three to five years.Members of the public interested in the condition of their own authority's roads will have available annual indicators published as part of local area agreements. Many authorities also publish their own local data. We have encouraged authorities to prepare asset management plans for local authority, and have announced that at least £15 million will be available to help them do so in 2009-10.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

213389; 479 c622-3W;479 c620-1W

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Roads Surveying

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk