Request ID: FOI-0540-2122 Date published: 28 June 2021
You asked
May I request information under the Freedom of Information Act relating to a road TFL is responsible for maintaining.
Specifically, my query relates to the section of the A40 outlined to you, where the incident took place.
Please can you send me:
1. A copy of your current road maintenance policy relating to that road. Please send me the full policy, but this should include details of the intended frequency of road safety inspections, how these inspections should be conducted and the maximum time between identification of a defect and repairs being carried out.
2. A copy of the road repair history for that road over the past year. Again, please send me the full road repair history, but this should include:
- dates of all safety inspections up to 60 days from when the incident occurred on 28th March 2021
- details of how safety inspections were undertaken (walked or driven, speed of inspection vehicle etc)
- details of all carriageway defects identified, with description, date and time
- details of how the authority handled these defects, what repairs were undertaken and the time between the identification of each defect and a repair being carried out.
I would be grateful if you could send me the requested information as soon as possible. Please confirm in writing that you have received this request. I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as outlined by the statute.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0540-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14th June 2021 asking for information about road maintenance on the A40.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Your questions are answered in turn below: Question 1: A copy of your current road maintenance policy relating to that road. Please send me the full policy, but this should include details of the intended frequency of road safety inspections, how these inspections should be conducted and the maximum time between identification of a defect and repairs being carried out. Answer: TfL’s maintenance process relating to maintenance and safety inspections are detailed in the London Highways Alliance Contract, volume 2, service information (common) section 2.1. A copy of this is attached. The London Highways Alliance Contract ended on 31 March 2021. This has now been replaced with the London Highway Maintenance and Project Framework, also known as Works for London. Appendix 33 shows the new framework for maintenance and inspections. This is also attached.
The guidelines in which TfL operates road maintenance are detailed below: TfL will ensure that the roads under its responsibility remain safe following the Well Maintained Highways Code of Practice for Highway Maintenance. The Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) is inspected on a regular basis, an effective way of assessing and recording the relative risks associated with potential circumstances of network condition. There are three categories of inspections – safety, service and condition and each of these inspections provide the basic information for addressing the core objectives of highway maintenance namely network safety, serviceability and sustainability. This information is used to develop maintenance programmes. Question 2: A copy of the road repair history for that road over the past year. Again, please send me the full road repair history, but this should include:
- dates of all safety inspections up to 60 days from when the incident occurred on 28th March 2021
- details of how safety inspections were undertaken (walked or driven, speed of inspection vehicle etc)
- details of all carriageway defects identified, with description, date and time
- details of how the authority handled these defects, what repairs were undertaken and the time between the identification of each defect and a repair being carried out.
Answer: The repair history of this section of the A40 is attached. This includes all details of safety inspections, defects identified with description and date (we do not record the exact time), the defect type and the repair status. It also includes details of defects reported through the public enquiry manager. Inspections are carried out weekly in a vehicle. The vehicle will move as slowly as is safe to do so depending on traffic conditions at the time of inspection.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
