Role of local Authority in traffic management

Unfortunately, the strategy used by most councils is to build more roads, not manage traffic. In general, there has been a preference to passive management (roundabout) to active management (traffic lights, traffic management software, variable speed limits, etc.).

Invariably, this seems to be because building roads or roundabouts is seen as simple, easy too do, keeps project spend local and because motorists favour them.

Fundamentally, many councils fail to manage traffic demand, as motor tax is a major income source for them. Indeed, many councils go a long way in encouraging people to spend money on cars and houses, to the detriment of other parts of peoples' needs.

Note that there are many Road Traffic Acts and there is also the Roads Act. You may have to look a the many Local Government Acts to see what the LA's responsibilities are. There will be a big difference between what they can do and what they must do.

It might be useful for you to sit down with a mid-ranking LA road engineer or two to see what they and their council see as their obligations.