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22/10/2009 UK Roads Liaison Group Recommendations SALT ASSOCIATION views on the UK Roads Liaison Group Report Recommendations - Lessons from the severe weather – February 2009.
The Salt Association welcomes the Report of the UK Roads Liaison Group and its recommendations. We were pleased to have the opportunity to work with the consultants and to contribute to the content of the Report. The Association is happy to work with the various agencies involved and to support most of the recommendations contained in the Report. We have concerns that recommendations 4, 5 and 6 could potentially be perceived as anti-competitive and no discussion was permitted on these items within the Association. Our comments on the remaining recommendations are set out below.
(Recommendation number in left-hand column)
Theme 1 - Winter Service Resilience
8 Winter Service Resilience Standard We support the principle behind this recommendation although in holiday periods the number of days’ resilience will need to be increased (and possibly doubled over the Christmas / New Year period). To achieve this recommendation, authorities will need to re-assess their stock measurement and reporting procedures. Winter Maintenance budgets will need to be ring-fenced. The number of days’ resilience should not be relaxed before mid-March.
Theme 2 – Preparation for and operation of winter service
1 Approach to climate change We fully endorse this recommendation. In reviewing, authorities should be aware of the Meteorological Office view that Climate Change equates to more unpredictable weather, rather than an end to winters.
10 Co-ordination and collaboration We agree that this is essential to achieving an effective service standard. It should be formalised as part of each authority’s plan.
6 Widely Distributed Supplier Owned Salt Stocks This issue is potentially anti-competitive. No discussion permitted on this recommendation.
7 Sharing Depots and Salt Stocks We support this recommendation that Highway Authority should explore the potential for sharing stocks but have concerns as to how well this would continue to work in the case of emergency or conflicting local interests. It will be necessary to determine who owns these stocks, how costs are shared and how stocks are allocated.
9 Salt Stock held by the Highways Agency The Highways Agency stocks appeared to have sufficient resilience to cope with the snow emergency and there were also instances where the Agency took a pragmatic approach by allowing their contractors some temporary relaxation in their commitments.
13 Contingency Planning We support the preparation of contingency plans. We recommend that the order, magnitude and phasing of any reduction of services during severe weather should be agreed in advance and included in the authority’s published Winter Maintenance Plan.
15 Drivers’ Hours We endorse this recommendation and there should be clear-cut rules to trigger the rapid deployment of this derogation. It may be appropriate to consider regionalised requirements.
18 Winter Service Exercising We support the need for formalised training in all aspects of Winter Maintenance.
17 Mutual Aid We support the need for mutual aid and there are instances where this does already take place. However, we again have concerns as to how well this would continue to work in the case of emergency or conflicting local interests.
16 Future Salt Cell Arrangements Although there may be disparate views on the effectiveness of the Salt Cell, its existence did provide a mechanism for the prioritisation of the distribution of salt stocks. We agree with the recommendation that there should be a plan for any future emergency deployment of a Salt Cell including terms of reference, trigger mechanisms, membership, data requirements and clarified legal position.
11 Strengthening Well-maintained Highways We support this recommendation.
12 Information for Highways Authorities We agree with this recommendation reminding elected members of their legal responsibilities and recommended steps to meet those responsibilities.
THEME 3 - Communications
19 Public Information We endorse this recommendation and note that this communication process already exists effectively in some areas.
3 Salt User Groups The Salt Association was asked by Matthew Lugg, Chairman of the UK Roads Liaison Group, to give particular consideration to Recommendation 3 (Salt User Groups)
The Association supports the need for improved communications and have discussed the issue of Supplier Meetings widely with both suppliers and customers. We find that the response is extremely mixed, from both sides.
Some semi-formal supplier meetings already take place although these tend to be regionally based around buying groups, for obvious logistical reasons. In some cases, there is a willingness to take a further look at possible customer groupings to see if there are any common linkages. At the other extreme, some suppliers pointed to the difficulty of bringing users together from opposite ends of the country. They prefer to treat their customers as individuals and visit each on a regular basis. These visits tend to cover all the topics which would arise at any formal group meeting, but to tailor the discussions to the specific needs of the customer and their geographic environ.
From the customers’ perspective, some authorities indicated that they would welcome supplier meetings whilst others dismissed them as 'talking shops' and 'a waste of time'. Many customers stated that they wanted to meet their supplier independently.
Communication between suppliers and end users is regular and, under normal conditions, has been ample to keep both customers and suppliers informed of current conditions. There is a general view that a Suppler Meeting format would be too slow and cumbersome to add any additional dimension, should there be a repeat of the extreme conditions of 2009. Both users and suppliers would again be out fighting on the front lines, too busy to attend a supplier meeting.
In general, therefore, although there may be some opportunity for suppliers and users to improve their communications and the flow of information, there is limited overall enthusiasm for formal Supplier Meetings.
Theme 4 - procurement
14 Collaborative Winter Service Arrangements We agree that authorities should collaborate to maximise their effectiveness in providing Winter Maintenance Services.
2 Salt Supply Service We support the concept behind this recommendation that authorities should be encouraged to differentiate between best service and lowest price.
4 Broaden Approach to Salt Supply This issue is potentially anti-competitive. No discussion permitted on this recommendation.
5 Innovation in Salt Procurement This issue is potentially anti-competitive. No discussion permitted on this recommendation.
22nd October 2009 Ends Notes to editors
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