The London permit scheme to reduce disruption from street and highway works would provide benefits worth £61M a year, based on ‘a conservative’ estimate, according to the promoters of the scheme.
The re-drafted application to run a permit scheme in 17 London boroughs and Transport for London’s road aims to address civil servants’ concern that the previous July submission had not shown that permits would ‘deliver worthwhile benefits’.
The new application has a detailed cost-benefit analysis, outlining that the reduction in traffic delays alone would save £49M, assuming a cost of congestion in London of £3bn. It also assumes – following a 2005 National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) study – that street and road works are responsible for 10% of congestion. The calculation uses the same method as Professor Phil Goodwin for an NJUG study, which concluded that delays caused by utility works had an impact of less than £1bn (Surveyor, 10 February 2005).
The final result for the new study is different because it is based on new congestion data from ITIS Holdings, and because the time that London travellers lose in traffic queues is assumed to be more valuable than that lost by non-Londoners.
The promoters of the scheme claim that replacing the current noticing system with permits would prevent 10% of the disruption works cause. This would be achieved at a total administrative cost to both utilities and local traffic authorities of £37.7M per year.
Disruption would be cut, they claim, by allowing traffic authorities to direct the timing of works, to specify the road space that can be used and better traffic management, or by refusing applications that would cause unacceptable disruption.
Other benefits would include a £10.9M reduction in the delay to pedestrians and the prevention of collisions that would have a monetary value of £0.3M. Gary Southon, project manager at Westminster, said that, second time round, the applicants had ‘provided more information to allow people to judge the merits of the scheme’.
The consultation on the re-drafted scheme runs until the 5th June. The promoters hope to introduce the scheme in October but Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster and Camden are to test the IT systems for sending and receiving permits with major utility firms within weeks.
This follows the less-than-smooth introduction of the EToN 4 noticing system. Helena Kakouratos, the permit working group borough lead, said: ‘Past experience has shown it is important to work out the practicalities before implementing any scheme.’
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
