STEPHEN GLAISTER TO BE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE RAC FOUNDATION

The appointment of leading transport expert Professor Stephen Glaister CBE as the new Director of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation has been announced today (25 April).

 

Professor Glaister will lead the development of the Foundation’s policy and research programmes and be the Foundation’s principal spokesman. He will ensure that realism about transport, and the interests of the responsible road user, are properly represented to the Government and media.

 

Glaister is currently Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at Imperial College, London. He has written on a wide range of transport subjects, including roads, railways and the London Underground, and is a member of a number of high-level transport boards and committees. He has been an adviser to Government, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport, the Rail Regulator and other organisations.

 

Professor Glaister was also one of the authors of Motoring Towards 2050: Roads and Reality; the RAC Foundation’s study on road investment and pricing strategy for the next 35 years, published in November 2007.

 

He said: “It is a privilege to be taking over the leadership of the Foundation, especially at such a critical time for transport policy.

 

“Roads are by far the most important physical infrastructure for meeting the day-to-day needs of the individual and the economy, but successive Governments have not given them nearly enough care and attention.

 

“We have collectively yet to find acceptable and balanced policies to combat ever worsening congestion. And we all must explore the contribution road users need to make to solve the issue of climate change.

 

“The Foundation is an independent body, and I aim to build on its considerable achievements in developing fact-based, objective arguments on all issues relating to the responsible road user. Part of that is the important role public transport plays and how all forms of transport work well together.” 

 

Commenting on the appointment, RAC Foundation Chairman David Holmes said: “We are delighted that we have secured someone of Stephen Glaister’s recognised distinction to be our new Director. This appointment will strengthen our reputation as an authoritative and independent contributor to the transport debate. Besides being one of the leading transport economists in the country, Stephen is an accomplished communicator on radio, TV and the press. 

 

At the same time, we will continue to speak up for the responsible motorist on the many issues that affect us all day to day, and campaign to make the roads safer.”

 

David was also delighted to announce the Foundation’s current Acting Director and Head of Campaigns Sheila Rainger would be promoted to the role of Deputy Director when Stephen takes up his appointment.

 

He said “Sheila has teken on the Acting Director role with great energy, expertise and enthusiasm, and the role of Deputy Director is well deserved.”

 

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SAFER MOTORCYCLING GUIDELINES WELCOMED BY MINISTER

More of Britain’s roads could be designed with the safety of motorcyclists in mind thanks to a new website launched today.

For the first time, the award-winning Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers Guidelines for Motorcycling are available online at

http://www.motorcycleguidelines.org.uk.

Broken down into individual chapters it explains how motorcycles need to be considered in policy, design and maintenance, parking and road safety.

Motorcycling is an increasingly popular alternative to the car, cutting congestion in urban areas and providing low-cost mobility in rural areas . Advantages of the motorcycle include independence and mobility; greater access to employment opportunities; and shorter journey times in congested traffic conditions. However, the specific needs of motorcyclists must be taken into account in the design, operation and maintenance of the road environment if road safety is to be maximised.

The website, funded by the Department for Transport and IHIE with support from the RAC Foundation, provides authoritative and practical advice to highways engineers and traffic managers on how to engineer a safer transport environment for motorcycles, mopeds and scooters.

The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy, published in February 2005, set out a plan of action to improve the safety of motorcyclists by facilitating motorcycling as a choice of travel within a safe and sustainable transport framework. The Motorcycling Guidelines website has been created as part of this Strategy.

Launching the new site, Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:

“This website makes the excellent IHIE motorcycling guidelines available to the widest possible audience. Projects like this show the real benefits of the Government’s Motorcycling Strategy, which has brought together a range of expert groups all working towards making motorcyclists safer.

“Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups on British roads today. They account for just 1% of all road traffic, but for 20% of all those killed or seriously injured. That is why the Government is fully committed to reducing motorcycle casualties and in our Motorcycling Strategy we outlined a series of measures to reduce motorcycle casualties and improve conditions for motorcyclists.”

Sheila Rainger, Acting Director of the RAC Foundation, said “We are delighted to support the Guidelines for Motorcycling website. The motorcycle plays an essential role as a congestion-buster in our cities and an affordable transport option in rural areas. Making the IHIE Guidelines for Motorcycling on available on the internet will help to create a safer environment for riders.”

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1500 ALBERT HALLS OF HOLES BRINGING MISERY TO MOTORISTS

Urgent and decisive action is needed to bring a halt to the motoring misery caused by over-running road works, according to the RAC Foundation, as the 2008 ALARM survey reveals today (2) for the first time the true number of trenches dug by utility companies.

Every year across England and Wales utility companies are putting 2.5 million trenches into local authority roads – the equivalent of 1500 Albert Halls of holes* – and the congestion that results costs the UK an enormous £8.6 billion**.

The ALARM survey also reveals that the average local authority road surface will be eligible for a pension before its turn comes up for resurfacing: due to lack of funds, the average wait for resurfacing is now 65 years.

The RAC Foundation has been running a campaign for years to try to reduce the chaos caused by long drawn out and un-coordinated roadworks.

Long-delayed powers set out in the 1991 New Roads and Streetworks Act and 2004 Traffic Management Act will be available to local authorities from 1 April 2008. The Foundation is urging all councils to make maximum use of these new powers*** to penalize those firms who refuse to co-ordinate their works with others, who fail to complete works in time, or who leave the road surface in a dangerous state and refuse to pick up the tab for repairs.

The Foundation has also warned that fines imposed on companies who dig up our roads must not just be passed on to the consumer. Stricter financial penalties should improve the speed and performance of utility and telecoms companies, and are the only way to minimise the £8.6 billion pounds worth of delays suffered each year by road users.

Sheila Rainger, Acting Director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Trenches dug by utility companies cause congestion and delay, and can permanently weaken the road surface. Councils, who are already struggling to fund properly planned maintenance, are too often forced to “patch and mend” in their wake.

“The Traffic Management Act increases the powers of local authorities in England and Wales to set binding start and finish dates, order re-surfacing work, and fine those companies who abuse the system. We urge all local authorities to exercise these powers as strongly as possible, whether through the new fixed penalty schemes or through court action.”

NOTES

* The 2008 ALARM survey calculates that 2.5 million trenches equates to 150 million cubic metres. The volume of the Albert Hall is 100,000 cubic metres.

** The Department for Transport’s follow-up consultation on Notices, Directions and Restrictions, Fixed Penalty Notices and revision of the Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highway showed that the cost of congestion of the then estimated 1.1 million holes came out at £4.3 billion.

*** The Traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007

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