The promotion of compliance and good practice is key to driving up standards across the road works community.
The committee and working group structure is long established in Scotland and is central to good practice across all road works undertaken.
Organisational Structure
Roads authorities convene a minimum of 4 local co-ordination meetings which utility companies and other interested parties attend. These local meetings inform area meetings, each of which is represented at RAUC(S). The structure of the area meetings was revised in 2022/23 with 4 areas meeting 3 times a year.
The Commissioner has the overarching objective of improving the planning, co-ordination and quality of road works in Scotland.
RAUC(S) consists of representatives from both sectors of the road works community and provides support and advice to the Commissioner.
In addition to the RAUC(S) committee hierarchy, the road works community is represented on a wide range of working groups in Scotland and across the UK. These working groups inform the development of advice on:
- Legislation
- Codes of Practice
- Advice Notes
- Management and development of the SRWR
Working groups generally report directly to RAUC(S) or, where there are legislative or policy implications, to the Scottish Road Works Policy Development Group (PDG) which is chaired by the Scottish Government.
The Commissioner gave presentations to various events through the year including the HAUC UK Convention in Manchester and the Roads Expo conference in Glasgow. He also gave evidence to the UK Parliament Transport Select Committee inquiry into the impact of streetworks.
The Technical Standards Manager continued his engagement at a local level to improve compliance and communication between utility companies and roads authorities, helping to informally resolve issues before they significantly impacted road works performance.
Publication of Codes of Practice and Advice
The continued participation of roads authorities and utility companies in the development of guidance ensures that legislation, codes of practice and advice notes are fit for purpose. The Commissioner appreciates the resourcing challenges facing both the public and the private sectors and continues to encourage organisations to maintain their support and participation in this vital area of work.
The Commissioner would like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the Scottish road works community and their employing organisations for their continued participation and contribution.
The annual review of the currency and suitability of codes of practice, advice notes and guidance was undertaken in summer 2024 and the results reported to RAUC(S) in October 2024.
The following advice note documents were revised in the reporting period:
- RAUC(S) Advice Note 1 – The Exchange of Plant Information – published February 2025
- RAUC(S) Advice Note 3 – National Coring Programme 2025 – published December 2024
- RAUC(S) Advice Note 30 – Addendum to Appendix B of the Code of Practice for the Co-ordination of Works on Roads – published February 2025
Links to these and other publications can be found at the Legislation & Guidance section of the Commissioner’s website.
The development of legislation and guidance is an ongoing process and updates will be included in future reports.
Appendix C lists committees and working groups which met during the period of this report. The Commissioner was represented at all meetings.
Training and Accreditation Group (TAG)
Section 126 of NRSWA 1991 introduced a requirement for supervisors and operatives to be qualified as prescribed in regulations. In parallel, the first edition of Safety at Street Works and Road Works: A Code of Practice (“the Red Book”) was introduced in 1992.
TAG was established in 2017 to review the qualifications of supervisors and operatives and to develop question banks for use by accredited training providers. The group is co-chaired by a highway authority and a utility company. It consists of representatives from DfT, Office of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland RAUC, utility companies, highway authorities and awarding organisations. The Street Works Qualification Register (SWQR) is also represented.
The Commissioner continues to engage with TAG on a regular basis.
Safety at Street Works and Road Works : A Code of Practice (2013) – (Safety Code)
The safety code now applies to roads authorities as well as utility companies working on Scotland’s roads. A review of the safety code was initiated by HAUC(UK) in early 2023. Work continued through 2023 and in January 2024, DfT commissioned consultants to undertake a formal review of the code and formed a steering group which the Commissioner was invited to join. At the time of writing, the expected consultation has not yet been undertaken due to various delays and changes at DfT. However, it is expected that a consultation will be held in late 2025.