Company fined thousands of pounds for offences committed at four sites last year
"Ensuring that roadworks are carried out in a safe manner is vital, especially in a busy city such as London. BT are repeat offenders - having failed to manage their roadworks properly on a number of occasions. We will always push for the strongest possible action in order to ensure London's streets are safe and free from unnecessary congestion"
Garrett Emmerson
Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, TfL
  • BT a 'repeat offender', with 28 offences since 2010
  • Latest prosecution is part of TfL's commitment to tackle poorly managed or unsafe roadworks that can cause disruption

Telecommunications company BT has been successfully prosecuted by Transport for London (TfL) for a range of roadwork offences on London's roads.

The prosecutions are part of TfL's work to tackle poorly planned and managed roadworks, which affect the safety and reliability of London's roads and cause avoidable road traffic congestion.

BT's street work offences were committed at four different locations between June and July 2015, and included:

  • Working without a permit in Devonshire Road in Lewisham and Jamaica Road in Southwark
  • Working in breach of permit conditions in Bath Road in Hillingdon
  • Failing to serve a statutory work notice in the course of carrying out works in Colnbrook Bypass in Hillingdon

BT also failed to pay the Fixed Penalty Notices issued by TfL relating to these offences. The company pleaded guilty to all four offences at court and was fined £2,620 and ordered to pay TfL's full prosecution costs of £3,500, bringing the total financial penalty to more than £6,000. BT has previously been prosecuted by TfL for 28 offences since 2010 and issued over 650 Fixed Penalty Notices of which 82 were issued in 2015.

In passing sentence, the Judge said:

'I have to give consideration to the seriousness of these offences and impact on road traffic particularly given the number of fines previously issued against BT by TfL for similar offences.'

The prosecution of BT is one of a number of ways TfL is working to improve conditions for all of London's road users. Since April 2013, firms undertaking work anywhere in London have had to apply for a permit before they can begin digging up the roads as part of the London Permit Scheme. These permits ensure that highway authorities coordinate work to minimise traffic disruption to road users.

Garrett Emmerson, Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport at TfL, said:

'Ensuring that roadworks are carried out in a safe manner is vital, especially in a busy city such as London. BT are repeat offenders - having failed to manage their roadworks properly on a number of occasions. We will always push for the strongest possible action in order to ensure London's streets are safe and free from unnecessary congestion.'

TfL is leading the way for work promoters, including utility companies, by planning and coordinating its roadworks outside of peak times, where possible, and with minimum disruption in line with the Lane Rental Scheme requirements.

For more information about the wider work TfL is carrying out to keep London moving, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/roads.

 

Notes to Editors:

  • The London Permit Scheme, introduced in 2010, enables TfL to monitor and regulate the number of roadworks taking place on its roads at any one time and to ensure that they don't exceed the agreed limit. This limit has since been revised to reduce the maximum number of works by a further 10 per cent. Traffic Police Community Support Officers (TPCSOs) are also used to clamp down on roadworks taking place outside of their permit
  • Londoners can report disruptive or badly managed roadworks, as well as road defects such as potholes and damaged footpaths, by visiting https://reportit.tfl.gov.uk. Any enquiries received will be sent directly to the relevant Highway Authority (TfL or a London borough) responsible, ensuring that direct and fast action can be taken
  • Since the beginning of the London Permit Scheme, TfL has taken action against a range of utility companies for unsafe or poorly coordinated roadworks:
  1. In October 2013, Thames Water was successfully prosecuted for nine offences of causing unnecessary disruption across the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN)
  2. In April 2014, Virgin Media was successfully prosecuted for five separate offences of unsafe working practices on Croydon Road.
  3. In January 2015, Vodafone was successfully prosecuted for two street works offences on Great Chertsey Road and Dulwich Common in June 2014
  4. In June 2015, Fulcrum Pipelines Ltd fined more than £5,000 for carrying out unauthorised roadworks on Finchley Road in October 2014
  5. In October 2015, BT was successfully prosecuted for unsafe working practices and poorly coordinated works on Brixton Road in March 2015 and fined £3,300