Road Safety Plan 2024-2030
Argyll and Bute Council · 20 June 2024
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 20 June 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 20 JUNE 2024 ROAD SAFETY PLAN 2024-2030 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report provides Members with an overview of the Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030, which aligns with Transport Scotland’s national document Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030. 1.2 The key aim of the Council’s Road Safety Plan 2024 – 2030 is to support the national aspiration to reduce fatalities and serious incidents to zero by 2050 and increase focus on the delivery of road safety improvements across the network. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended the Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee note this report and endorse the attached Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The Council has a statutory duty under the Road Traffic Act 1988, s39 in regard to road safety. This duty includes, broadly:- i. Study of accidents arising on the road network; ii. Take action to prevent accidents through the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads, practical training to road users, the construction / improvement / repair / maintenance of the road and other measures to control, protect or assist the movement of all categories of traffic; iii. When constructing new roads, to take measures to reduce the likelihood of accidents. 3.2 Roads and Infrastructure Services (RIS) delivers a number of asset sustainability surface treatment schemes each year (~100 per annum) through its Capital Programme. These schemes include surface treatments to carriageway and footways, widening or carriageway, a list of the schemes carried out within 2022/23 and 2023/24 is included within Appendix 1 of the Road Safety Plan 2024-2030, which is appended to this report. In addition
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there are a limited number of capital asset improvement works including new footways, cycleways etc. 3.3 Further to the above, the RIS team delivers its annual revenue funded maintenance programme, which includes, for example, potholing, scrub clearance, grass cutting and winter maintenance. 3.4 In addition to physical works, the RIS team also promotes and enforces control orders. This includes controls or prohibitions on parking (on and off street), speed restrictions and weight, width or length restrictions. 3.5 The Scottish Government has set out its own road safety aspirations in the Transport Scotland “Scotland Road Safety Framework to 2030”. This document contains both the longer term (by 2050) and interim (by 2030) aim to realise a national reduction is serious and fatal incidents on Scotland’s road network. 3.6 The Scottish Government’s aspiration is to reach zero fatalities or serious injuries on the network by 2050. The 2030 interim targets are:- • 50% reduction in people killed • 50% reduction in people seriously injured • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) killed • 60% reduction in children (aged <16) seriously injured 3.7 The Council’s Road Safety Plan 2024-2030 has been drafted to provide local context and aspirations but aims to support the national aspiration as outlined above. The plan also provides an overview of accident analysis and trends on the Council local road network. 3.8 The primary desire in the reduction of incidents is to prevent fatalities or serious incidents on the network and, consequently, reduce the familial and social impacts of same. There are also, however, other benefits from achieving a reduction in incidents; for example, it is estimated over the period 2018-2022 that the cost of collisions to the local economy is in the region of £121million, as reported by Transport Scotland in their 2022 report Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2022 - Transport Scotland. It is also worth noting that there are few short or quick diversions within Argyll and Bute area; a serious or fatal incident can lead to significantly increased journey times as roads are closed to access, impacting residents, visitors and businesses alike but also adding additional fuel and wear and tear costs to all. 3.9 The Council is responsible for a local road network length of 2,295km. This equates to approximately 4% of the national road network. Broadly, we have fewer incidents on our network as compared to the national picture but the plan sets out the Council’s support of the Scottish Government’s aspiration to further reduce this as far as practicable by 2030 and to zero fatalities or serious injuries by 2050.
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3.10 There is no defined road safety budget currently. The works carried out by the RIS team are done so under other headline budgets, as outlined above, but which nevertheless deliver road safety improvements. The Council’s own budgets have, to date, been supplemented by other external grants funding including, for example, active travel, Strategic Timber Transport Scheme and the Road Safety Infrastructure Fund. 3.11 It is hoped that by endorsing this plan, Members will bring a focus on road safety on all that RIS do, acknowledging that all road users have a part to play in reaching both the local and national aspirations. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This report provides Members with an overview of the Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030, which aligns with Transport Scotland’s national document Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – N/a. 5.2 Financial – Majority of schemes or projects will continue to be funded by Revenue or Capital budgets. Other schemes will seek funding from external grants but if these are not achieved some schemes will not go ahead. 5.3 Legal – Road Traffic Act 1988, s39 imposes a duty in regard to road safety. 5.4 HR – N/a. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – May provide better protection for those with mobility issues. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – Safer roads for all users is likely to have broad positive outcomes. 5.5.3 Islands - N/a. 5.6 Climate Change – N/a. 5.7 Risk – Any distinct schemes may not be deliverable without an identified budget. 5.8 Customer Service – N/a. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – may provide better protection for all road users.
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Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour May 2024 For further information contact: Jim Smith, Head of Road and Infrastructure Services jim.smith@argyll-bute.gov.uk Stuart Watson, Assistant Network & Standards Manager stuart.watson@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Road Safety Plan 2024 -2030