Local Authorities existing highways powers and duties to maintain and improve the roads have been extended by the 2004 Traffic Management Act. The Act places a duty on authorities to minimise congestion and disruption on their roads as best they can, extra powers have been granted to achieve this.

The new powers will help the Council to:

· Better manage all highway works, both Council and utility roadworks;
· Better co-ordinate all works including events, parades and maintenance;
· Better control/enforce fines for poor performance for companies working on the highway;

Remit of the Act

The Act is in seven parts.

Part 1: Traffic Officers for the Highways Agency
Provides extra resource for the Highways Agency to appoint dedicated traffic officers.

Part 2: Network Management Duty by Councils
Authorities must help make the best use of the road for all road users, and also to appoint a Traffic Manager to over-see this duty and report performance requirements to the Government (See contact details below). Councils are preparing Network Management Plans to demonstrate how they will administer this Duty. These Plans will be integrated with the Local Transport Plan.

Parts 3 & 4: Permit Schemes and Streetworks
Provides new powers to extend those existing and administered by Highways Infrastructure Maintenance Teams.  These allow Councils to better control and co-ordinate roadworks of all organisations on the highway and impose fines for bad performances.

Part 5: Highways & Roads
Applies to London.

Part 6: Civic Enforcement of Traffic Contravention
May make available to Councils some of the powers, currently with the Police, to deal with some minor traffic offences and also help to enforce the Blue Badge Scheme (‘disabled’ badge scheme) which has a ‘poor’ perception resulting from abuse of the scheme.

Part 7: Miscellaneous and General
May, by the end of the year, make available to Councils powers to use any potential surplus funds from fines collected from poor performing companies working on the highway and to administer the Blue Badge Scheme and to use finances to do bus/environmental improvements.

Local Authority Network Managers

Gateshead Council
Derek Quinn
Group Director of Development and Enterprise
Tel: 0191 433 3100

Newcastle City Council
David Embleton
Group Manager
Highways Infrastructure
Tel: 0191 211 5911

North Tyneside Council
Kevin Ridpath
Group Manager
Traffic and Transport Services
Tel: 0191 219 2463

South Tyneside Council
Arthur Broxson
Street Works Coordinator 
Tel: 0191 424 7608

Sunderland City Council
Graham Carr
Highways Maintenance Manager 
Tel: 0191 553 1298

Highways Agency Traffic Contact
Peter Moffat 
Area 14 Performance Manager

Traffic Operations Directorate
Tel: 0113 283 6503