Road Safety Audit

rayjdav

I'm doing a job at a petol station. As regulations stipulate, and council only too happy to request, we have undertaken a Road Safety Audit (RSA).

Got draft Stage 1 RSA report back and a few of the recomendations are to provide road markings to carraigeway edgeline, ghost island and pedestrian crossing to main road?? Even suggest to extend public footpath to a junction. Not on his lands so has no rights to do anything to them?

Surely my client has no remit to do any works on the Regional or National road he bounds? If I agree to the RSA report does this not leave my client open to action if there was any future incidents, as a result of the works proposed?

I have asked for clarification from the consultant but just wondering if anyone here has had to do one of these before, and what sort of recomendations are expected to be undertaken by the client? Just want a heads up before the consultant rings back to see what I am expected to agree to or can request they make the NRA and Co Co aware of possible public land safety issues to provide for safe vehicular/pedestrian movement external to the subject site.

First time dealing with this type of report.

Cheers

Poor Uncle Tom

If your proposed development is an intensification of an existing business to such a degree that extra safety measures and precautionary measures are needed to safeguard pedestrian users then the upgraded fasicities are needed.

If they were not included as part of the overall development and someone had an accident getting to the shop/fuel station as a result of say a piece of missing footpath, who gets sued? (rethorical)

Your client will not be asked to do the work, just to provide a contribution towards the additional services to be provided.

I see your job as providing an arguement that the additional works are needed, not just for the business you are extending, but to improve the road usage as it stands, and as general upgrade and modernisation of safety measures for road users at this location. Thereby giving you the opportunity to argue that only a small percentage of the fees should be added as a contribution to this proposed development.

rayjdav

Cheers Tom. The works are an intensification of an existing business but the junction in question, given the nature of the existing pedestrian and vehicular usage, has always been in a delapidated state and always a cause for concern for the locals of the town.

All aspects in the report are totally justified and required in all fairness, but external to the site, at who's expense? Naturally, my concern is that my client gets what he wants, abides by all regulations and safety measures, but at the minimal costs.

How best to address, in your or anyones opinion, the draft report and it's resubmission as RFI to the council? Do I make reference that the client will pay special/supplementary contribution, preferrably not, as this leaves the door open, or just submit report and note that all site internal works will be adhered to and take contributions when levied. As I take it, I can only agree at this stage to act on the recommendations that are specific to the works within the curtilage of the subject site.

archtech

The local authority could insist(and often do) on your client doing the works him/herself. It can pose a problem, particularly if there is a question of ownership of land or land needs to be required. Its no different to the principal of someone achieving sight distance for a one off, only more expensive. If all works are on the public road/ footpath, consent generally isn't a problem.

You have mentioned both National and Regional Roads in your original post. If the works are to a National Road the NRA will be involved and there's more red tape involved. Regional roads are under the control of the local authority, whom are more often that bit easier to work with.

Just to be aware there's a good chance that there will be a planning condition requiring that Stage 2 & 3 Road Safety Audits are undertaken in due course.

It may be necessary to retain the services of a roads engineer going forward, who is independent of the road safety audit team, but could be a member of the same firm, for things like proper design of the ghost islands etc unless you are happy signing off on them.

I would suggest talking to the audit team before responding to the queries/accepting the recommendations and maybe talk to the roads section in the local authority. You will have to either accept the recommendations of the Audit Team or propose an alternative/argument to each recommendation. Bear in mind, if you make recommendations, that go against the audit team, you are taking responsibility for the solutions.

Just remember a road safety audit, is meant to be for the benefit of all road users safety and not the client and it often raises issues that the creates headaches for the client.