The chief executive of the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) says local authorities are ill prepared when it comes to dealing with crisis situations.
At this year’s Highways SIB (Seeing is Believing) event Richard Hayes led a debate on the resilience of the road network.
CE of the Institute of Highway Engineers Richard Hayes
He told Highways Magazine: 'The rainy day is inevitable. Whether you like climate change or you don’t the facts are there – we get more weather events and they’re more severe when they occur – so you can’t expect the general public to deal with it. You’ve got to have a coordinated plan or response.
'Local authorities plan for some things, but forget about planning for some of the more obvious things that occur on a more regular basis. They’ve got to get their heads out of the sand. There is a cost involved with keeping a resource, but when you need it you have to be able to get hold of it. You can’t wait three days for B&Q to open to get some sand out. That’s the way people are working these days. You’ve got to keep some supply.'
Click here for the full story on highwaysmagazine.co.uk
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