Skip to main content

International Safer Roads Conference focus on highway maintenance funding

UK road planners and engineers attending next month’s International Safer Roads Conference will find out how to avoid losing part of their highway maintenance funding from the British Government. In the Department of Transport document, ‘Gearing up for efficient highway delivery and funding’, Robert Goodwill, MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, warns that local authorities will be incentivised to take up asset management to make the most from allocated resources.
April 30, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
UK road planUK road planners and engineers attending next month’s International Safer Roads Conference will find out how to avoid losing part of their highway maintenance funding from the British Government.

In the Department of Transport document, ‘Gearing up for efficient highway delivery and funding’, Robert Goodwill, MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, warns that local authorities will be incentivised to take up asset management to make the most from allocated resources.

It is proposed that every highway authority will receive baseline funding, with additional funds, as much as 10%, for those with an asset management strategy in place.

The Roads Minister will be addressing the Conference, which is being held in Cheltenham, western England, from the 18 – 21 May 2014. UK delegates will be able to share best practice to help prepare a strategy to avoid losing any vital funding.
The underlying theme of the Conference is ‘saving lives through safer roads’ and delegates are travelling from around the world to share their experience and knowledge.

Dr Chris Kennedy, chairman of the organising committee, says they will be discussing the ever-changing issues of climate change and increasing traffic flows, as well as how types of vehicles place more pressure on existing materials and practices.

“The papers being presented also look at how to achieve more for less in what are challenging times”, he explained.

The 4th International Safer Roads Conference is co-sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation, 1009 New Zealand Transport Agency and 3312 WDM Limited. Delegates will consist of engineers, practitioners, policy makers and other professionals from central and local governments, academics from universities and research organisations, consultants and contractors.

Dr Kennedy says the Conference will help encourage authorities to become more innovative to achieve best value in road and runway safety maintenance and practices.

“Studies have shown that driver behaviour can be linked with the road environment to produce innovative ways to reduce accident rates and these changes also need to use the appropriate surface materials.

“Many countries have been showing reductions in headline numbers of killed and seriously injured, but as the opening keynote speaker from the Dutch Institute of Road Safety will be discussing, these headline figures often fail to show that the number of vulnerable users continues to rise,” he said. “No country can afford to be complacent about its road safety record.”

Full details of the Conference can be found on %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal www.saferroads.org.uk Visite Safe Roads website false http://www.saferroads.org.uk/ false false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Evonik to announce winner of global Road Safety Award in August
    June 1, 2017
    Evonik will announce the winner of its Road Safety Award in August followed by an award ceremony at a global or regional road safety event at the end of 2017.
  • IRF focuses on training issues
    August 28, 2013
    IRF Geneva has a long history of providing cutting-edge educational and professional development facilities and resources specifically targeted to the needs of road sector professionals worldwide In this respect it builds on its tradition as a neutral platform for global exchanges and precision service. A wide range of current opportunities may be found in the Training & Services section of the IRF Geneva website (www.irfnet.ch). Many, including the annual Senior Road Executive courses, need little intro
  • Volvo strengthens German distribution with sale of Bavarian dealer
    January 6, 2017
    Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has divested its wholly-owned dealership in south-east Germany, Volvo Baumaschinen Bayern (VBB), to neighbouring distribution partner Robert Aebi. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes the transfer of the company including all assets, employees and sales territory. The distribution in the south of the country, with Robert Aebi, now consists of a well-financed, independent and strategically aligned partner and this latest move strengthens Volvo CE’s competitive po
  • Volvo strengthens German distribution with sale of Bavarian dealer
    February 26, 2013
    Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has divested its wholly-owned dealership in south-east Germany, Volvo Baumaschinen Bayern (VBB), to neighbouring distribution partner Robert Aebi. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes the transfer of the company including all assets, employees and sales territory. The distribution in the south of the country, with Robert Aebi, now consists of a well-financed, independent and strategically aligned partner and this latest move strengthens Volvo CE’s competitive po