After witnessing what I thought was some general numptyness from the highways agency I decided to email them:-
Hello. How many people do you have manning the phone there? Twice in the last week I’ve called to speak to an advisor but both times I gave up after being informed for the umpteenth time that all your advisors were busy. The second time was yesterday and fairly important. It was mid morning…
The hard shoulder was open on the M4 eastbound between junction 20, the M5; and junction 19, the M32. Unfortunately a car had broken down and was parked on the hard shoulder having failed to make it to the little lay by. Traffic was fairly light and there was a 60mph limit in force. Twice the poor soul broken down was nearly rear ended, and that’s just what I saw in the few seconds it took me to pass. So I thought I’d phone you guys and tell you to look on your cameras, see the problem, and put a red X over the hard shoulder. After about 5 minutes I gave up. In retrospect I perhaps should’ve dialed 999, but my first thought was speak to the people who can do something immediately.
The first time was about a week ago on the M6 north in Cheshire around 11pm. The slip road onto the eastbound M62 from the M6 was closed for overnight roadworks. Ok fine, but the first matrix informing us of this was just after junction 19. The logical diversion for traffic heading to Manchester and unable to access the eastbound M62 would be the A556 off junction 19. What good is it informing us after we’ve passed the junction? Again I phoned to suggest that the message be displayed before J19 but I gave up in the end there too after many minutes hanging on.
I wasn’t going to email, but I’ve seen two instances tonight regarding matrix signs which told me I must…
M1 north, there were two matrix signs informing us to ‘Check Your Fuel’. Good advice for the hard of thinking. Now, where’s the best place to display this? I know, directly AFTER Tibshelf services! The second one displayed directly AFTER Woodall services! Seriously? That must be deliberate surely?
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read. The highways agency is a good idea but you could be so much better with a bit more thought and a bit more effort.
If its in a live lane then its plod you ring not highways…plod have direct access to the cameras and and was told they have a priority line to H W control
Please email and complain. They have to answer phone in a set time limit, so they are missing their targets. Anything live lane can be 999 direct to Police. Police cannot set signals but nearly all Police control rooms have an interface link with HA control rooms, so passing incidents over is usually quite quick.
nick2008:
If its in a live lane then its plod you ring not highways…plod have direct access to the cameras and and was told they have a priority line to H W control
Yes use 999 but try to get the nearest marker-post number, and make sure to give the direction that you’re travelling. You are right to be ■■■■■■ about it. Please copy/paste you post and send it to ha_info@highways.gsi.gov.uk
I will also copy it and check out about the roadworks at the M62, this is in my region, and I know there is a message plan that should have been set, which would have warned you much, much earlier
Good evening Mr Dap,
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Thank you for your email to the Highways Agency.
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We apologise you experienced difficulty getting through to an advisor on the occasions you have called us, our staffing levels vary depending on the time of day and are usually at the highest during the hours of 9am and 5pm as we know this is our busiest period.Â
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Our aim is to answer calls within 30 seconds and our latest monthly report showed the average customer wait time as 39 seconds and we are working on ways to improve this.
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I have forwarded your enquiry regarding our Variable Message Signs to the relevant department who will contact you directly with a response.
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I trust this helps you with your enquiry, if you have any future enquiries regarding Highways Agency related issues please visit our website where information on all Highways Agency policies and procedures can be found: highways.gov.uk. Alternatively you can contact us via email or on our 24 hour Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
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Kind regards,Â
Hayley
Highways Agency Information Line Advisor
I wonder if all those who hung up are included in the 39 seconds?
tobytyke:
I saw the check your fuel signs half a mile after the Wooley Edge services, wheres the brains in that lol
Maybe theres a Tosco fuel statn off at the next exit where the fuels cheaper ?
Does beg the question though < why sign it AFTER the services ? why not BEFORE ?
Anyone remember those little square signs with flashing amber lights?
There I was, creeping slowly and carefully along a fog bound motorway; vision restricted to between a few feet and a few yards. Cars, apparently driven by people with superhuman vision, or second sight, overtaking me. I see a flashing light ahead and concentrate on it to see what essential information it would impart. Was there a lane closure? Was the road completely blocked?
As I drew closer, I could dimly make out the word on the sign.
speedyguy:
Thelwall
You may think some of the heroes would park up
Very true Speedyguy. It does however beg the question of what your control room (or whomever) would say if you refused to go out on patrol because you thought driving conditions were unsafe?
I remember once coming down the M74 at around 3 in the morning. Completely empty motorway, not a soul around, only a light mist to keep me company. In the far distance was an orange glow looming out of the darkness. I squinted as I approached it, but couldn’t make it out until I was a hundred yards or so away. “END”, it said. End of what? Made me quite paranoid.
Goldilox:
No doubt the Strong Winds signs will be on today.
Oh really, hadn’t quite noticed…
your right, as i was going over the M62 at an angle that didnt at all look natural and dodging a van that got blew from lane 3 to lane 1 i glanced up at the information board and there it was
More or less every sign I seen this morning before the closures started happening was , strong winds , it’s been in the papers and on the news for the last 24hours and on the matrix signs , so why not put something more useful up like stop driving like a ■■■■ and keep your distance , or something similar lol
