Highways Agency: Hotkey to Help HGV Removals

The removal of broken down lorries from the motorway network should now be even easier to manage - thanks to an agreement between the Highways Agency’s National Vehicle Recovery Service (NVRS) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

The NVRS, which reaches its first full year of operation in July, has started a ‘hotkey’ trial in its regional control centres to ensure the RHA is alerted as quickly as possible when one of its members is involved in a breakdown or incident which disables a truck.

Since last year, as part of the Agency’s National Vehicle Recovery Service, Highways Agency Traffic Officers have had the responsibility for dealing with abandoned, broken down and accident-damaged vehicles on England’s motorway network

Where there is no immediate danger to other road users, Traffic Officers will always allow drivers to specify their own suitable private arrangements.

New communication arrangements - involving RHA Rescue, the RHA's own member recovery service - are now being trialled to give RHA Rescue members the opportunity to access their suitable private arrangements as easily as possible

The trial involves installing a 'hotkey' in each of the Highways Agency's seven regional control centres (RCCs) across the country from where control room Traffic Officers manage incidents on the motorway network.

The new ‘hotkey’ in each RCC allows Traffic Officers, liaising with their on-road patrols, to alert RHA Rescue to incidents where one of their members has specified the RHA Rescue scheme as their suitable private arrangement for assistance when their vehicle is disabled.

If Traffic Officers are told a driver is a member of RHA Rescue after they have come across broken down or accident-damaged  lorries – and provided there is no immediate risk to other road users – they will ask control room colleagues to hit the ‘hotkey’ and alert RHA Rescue instantly.

The trial is being seen as a way of getting own-arrangements recovery underway as quickly as possible - helping Traffic Officers clear the motorways of a potential accident and congestion hazard.

National Vehicle Recovery Service manager Gary Bacon said, “The RHA represents around 10,000 members in the haulage and freight industry and is one of the Highways Agency’s key stakeholders.    Our motorway and trunk road network carries two-thirds of all heavy freight traffic in England and the Highways Agency’s work to provide safer, more reliable journeys is crucial to business and industry.”

RHA Rescue endeavours to get a specialist or recovery agent to the scene within an hour and the ‘hotkey’ will be used to speed up communications between the Highways Agency, the RHA and the lorry driver.

Mr Bacon added, “This new hot key arrangement with the RHA, linking Traffic Officers to RHA Rescue’s 24/7 service centre, is part of our work to provide safer, more reliable journeys.

“The new arrangements will also provide two-way communications between our control rooms and RHA Rescue, giving our Traffic Officers better intelligence on recovery times and arrangements.  This should speed up the whole recovery process, clearing the road for other drivers.”

Geoff Dunning, Chief Executive Officer of the RHA, said, “The RHA warmly welcomes the Hot Key service and sees it as encompassing two important issues.  Firstly, there is the safety and security of the driver of the broken down vehicle.  The Hot Key will provide a direct link to the RHA Rescue's 24/7 service centre thereby ensuring that help is at hand as quickly as possible.

“Secondly, there is cost effectiveness – when time is money, the speedy recovery of a vehicle is of paramount importance to both the driver and the employer. To that end the RHA considers the Hot Key really will get the operator’s show back on the road.”

Last year, Nikki King, chair of the RHA’s Recovery Members Committee, said she was impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of Highways Agency Traffic Officers after spending three hours on patrol with a crew from Coldharbour Outstation in Kent.

A fortnight ago Nikki, and Ray Coleman, of Lantern Recovery Specialists PLC – which manages recovery operations for RHA Rescue – visited South Mimms RCC, headquarters of the East Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service, to see the ‘hotkey’ in action for themselves.

END

Notes to editors

Notes to Editors

Jpegs are available with this story (for details see below)

1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport, which manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State.
2. The new removal powers will be exercised under The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (Traffic Officers) (England) Regulations 2008' SI 2008 No.2367
3. The Highways Agency and Police undertook a review of their roles and responsibilities on the strategic road network. This resulted in the introduction of the Traffic Officer Service, beginning in November 2004. The review concluded that certain traffic management functions should be transferred to the Highways Agency. It was agreed that the removal of vehicles in certain prescribed circumstances was a function which in the future, should be carried out by the Traffic Officers.
4. About FMG Support: FMG Support is the UK's largest independent fleet performance improvement company and has been operating since 1986. 
• Its key service areas are Fleet Incident Management and Roadside Repair and Recovery Management. 
• FMG Support has a UK-wide network of supply partners and national customers including Royal Mail, Carlsberg and the Highways Agency.
• The company employs around 360 people and has an annual turnover of over £70m. 
• In March 2008, the FMG Support Board secured a £multimillion investment from private equity firm Aberdeen Asset Management to fund further market growth and innovation.
5. The seven Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service Regional Control Centres are spread across England’s motorway network in these locations:

• Just off the M5 at Quinton near Birmingham in the West Midlands,
• Just off the M1 in Nottingham in the East Midlands,
• Near Junction 23 of the M6 at Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside
• Alongside the M1 at Wakefield in West Yorkshire
• Near the M25 and A1 (M) at South Mimms in Hertfordshire
• Near the M25 at Godstone in Surrey
• Just off the M5 at Avonmouth in Avon.

Media enquiries about the National Vehicle Recovery Service or requests for jpegs for this story should be made to Neil Sterio, Highways Agency North West Press and Public Relations Officer, on 07917 266779.

Media enquiries relating to FMG Support should be made to Emma Streets at Propaganda on 0113 287 8932 or email emma.streets@propaganda.co.uk

Journalists with enquiries out of hours should be call the Highways Agency’s National Press Office on 0207 081 7443.

Contacts

NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk