One of the key functions of the Commissioner is to promote good practice. Since taking up post, a number of examples of good practice have been identified. Where good practice is found it is proposed that it will be recorded and posted onto the Commissioner's website in order to disseminate it to as wide an audience as possible and encourage its adoption where appropriate.
Oxford Plastics Road Plates
When excavating trenches in the carriageway whilst undertaking works, common practice is to excavate, perform a temporary reinstatement after the works are completed, and then extract the interim material and perform a permanent reinstatement at a later date.
Alternatively, the trench is left open, signed and guarded until a permanent reinstatement can take place, restricting the carriageway capacity and reducing vehicular/pedestrian flows.
The reinstatement materials also affect the time taken to reopen the carriageway. If concrete is used to reinstate the trench for instance, this must also be signed and guarded until the material has cured and gained enough strength to be trafficked safely.
One option is to temporarily cover over trenches and allow the return of road space to the carriageway by using "Road/Trench" Plates.
The proprietary Oxford Plastics Ltd have been trialled by Thames Water and Laing O'Rourke for its suitability for use in London. More details are available at: TfL Oxford Plates
Partnership Working - West Lothian Considerate Contractor Scheme
The West Lothian Considerate Contractor road works scheme is one of 4 schemes operating in Scotland. The others include Aberdeen, Glasgow and the Edinburgh Road Works Ahead Agreement.
The voluntary Code of Practice to which contractors sign-up, aims to ensure that inconvenience and disruption to residents, businesses and road users are kept to an absolute minimum, to improve the co-ordination of all kinds of works and events on the public road network and to improve public safety.
As part of the scheme, the performance of council contractors and utility companies and their contractors is monitored by West Lothian Council staff and also "Considerate Contractor Assessors" who include Councillors and members of the public. The assessment includes considering the job difficulty, which is then be used to weight the score.Factors to be considered are:
The scheme has been running for over three years and is considered a great success by those involved and this is supported by evidence gathered from the public through lay assessors and customer questionnaires. The Commissioner endorses the scheme and encourages other roads authorities to consider implementing such a scheme.
More details are available at: http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/1523/1284/Consideratecontractor
Good Practice