30 March 2010
Government announced today that an independent review body will be created to look at how the transport sector can cope better with future severe winters.
Responding to the announcement, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Director General, Tom Foulkes, said:
quot;We support the creation of an independent review body to ascertain how we can prevent such disruption to our transport networks during extreme weather conditions.
quot;We can’t stop forces of nature, but we can look at how we can protect, maintain and invest in our transport infrastructure effectively, so our networks are more resilient. We also need to think strategically about how we can create some spare capacity in the system to make our networks less vulnerable to disruption.”
For further information please contact:
Kate Ison
ICE Press Officer,
t. 0207 665 2104
e. Kate.ison@ice.org.uk
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) was founded in 1818 to ensure professionalism in civil engineering. It represents 80,000 qualified and student civil engineers in the UK and across the globe. The ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy and UK exports.
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NEW TRANSPORT GROUP TO PLAN FOR SEVERE WINTERS
TRANSPORT Snow
Mar 30, 2010 12:53:32 PM
By Peter Woodman, Press Association Transport Correspondent
Page 1
Measures to enable the transport sector to cope with future severe winters will be outlined by an independent review body set up today by the Government.
Following two consecutive transport-disrupting snowy winters, the review will first see what initiatives can be introduced quickly to deal with winter 2010/11.
Headed by RAC Foundation chairman chairman David Quarmby, the review team will also consider how well Britain is prepared for bad weather in future years.
In February 2009, the worst snow in the London area for 19 years caused transport chaos in the capital, while in winter 2009/10 transport had to cope with the coldest winter for 30 years.
Announcing the review today, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said:
"Following a decade of relatively mild weather, the UK has now experienced two harsh winters in succession.
"For the most part our transport networks have coped well, but there are lessons that can be learned in order to improve our resilience for future winters."
He added that he had asked the review team to seek evidence from "a wide range of stakeholders in order to identify and disseminate examples of the very best practice in responding to severe winter weather and I look forward to receiving recommendations".
Mr Quarmby said: "Last winter's severe weather - and the transport problems it created - were rare in historic terms, but because of climate change the country needs to be prepared for more frequent extreme conditions.
"By setting up this review the Government has recognised how important a resilient transport network is to the economic and social well-being of the nation and just how many people are affected when things go wrong."
Welcoming the review, AA president Edmund King said: "We cannot afford to let the chaos created by a lack of salt (for roads) happen again.
Three-quarters of AA members in our poll of 20,109 said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the way their council dealt with local roads and 87% were dissatisfied with treatment of pavements."
He went on: "Many highway authorities were unable to fulfil their winter road service plan commitments which are technically a legal duty. The salt supply situation was totally unacceptable and relied on a supply chain that could in no way fulfil Britain's needs.
"We warned the LGA (Local Government Association) of this back in October 2009. Some winter road service plans could not be delivered and we need to take urgent steps to ensure Britain is never taken so close to the edge again.
"This will mean there must be much more road salt available next winter
- it can be stored and the sensible highway authorities are already planning new supply and storage arrangements. All authorities should be made to submit their winter service plans to the Government so none has to be bailed out by those which are prudent."