Information on safety inspections of A82 in 2017: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/01570
Date received: 10 July 2017
Date responded: 1 August 2017

Information requested

• Information on safety inspections (how and when) of the A82 from the 4th January 2017 – 4th of July 2017

• Information on when maintenance was last done on the following stretch of road and reports of potholes/areas of road surface missing: A82 from Inveruglas going north for five miles to ensure I have the information I need

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test.' Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Please see attached Annex A which is the Inspection Defect Summary Report for the A82 Inveruglas for the period requested.

Maintenance operations on trunk road routes are carried out to a detailed specification and level of service as defined within the contract with Transport Scotland. Transport Scotland and the independent Performance Audit Group monitor the Operating Company's performance to ensure the levels of resource, performance and management meet the standards required by the contract. A copy of the full contract can be found with the Transport Scotland website.

Safety inspections are carried out at frequencies not exceeding seven days. The inspection vehicle will travel around 40 mph. Where possible safety inspections will be carried out by a team of two. Midway between these safety inspections the road is subject to Safety Patrols. In addition each section of the road is walked annually for a detailed visual inspection to be made.

Details of the inspections and surveys that are carried out by our operating companies can be found within the 4th Genration Team Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network (PDF 23.85MB), on the Transport Scotland website.

• Schedule 7: Part 1 of the contract provides an overview of inspections and surveys

• Schedule 7: Part 2: Section 2.7. of the contract provides details of inspections and their frequency during winter

• Schedule 7: Part 6: Section 3 of the contract details the inspections and their frequency for Structures

Further details of the inspections and surveys can be found in the Transport Scotland Road Asset Management Plan, Section 5.2 on the Transport Scotland website.

For your information the following is the definition of a Category 1 & Category 2 defect from Schedule 1, Part 1 of the 4th Generation Term Contract for management and maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network and can also be viewed on the Transport Scotland website.

"Category 1 Defect" means a Defect that necessitates prompt attention because it presents: (i) an immediate or imminent hazard, or (ii) a risk of rapid structural deterioration to the affected element.

"Category 2 Defect" means any Defect which is not a Category 1 Defect. In addition, the following extract is taken from Schedule 7 Part 1 of the 4th Generation Term Contract for Management and Maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network.

2. Defect categories and response times

2.1. Classification of Category 1 and Category 2 Defects
2.1.1. When classifying Category 1 and Category 2 Defects, the Operating Company shall give consideration to the potential impact on all road users including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, equestrians and disabled users.

2.1.2. The Operating Company shall comply with the provisions of the Transport Scotland Trunk Road Inspection Manual regarding classification of Defects.

2.1.3. The Transport Scotland Trunk Road Inspection Manual is deemed not to contain an exhaustive compendium of Defects. In the absence of a description of a Defect in the Transport Scotland Trunk Road Inspection Manual, the Operating Company shall make the classification from first principles.

The following extract is taken from Schedule 7, Part 1 of the 4th Generation Term Contract for management and maintenance of the Scottish Trunk Road Network and details the timescales for replacing defects:

2.2. Category 1 Defects Response Times

2.2.1. Unless stated otherwise in this Part, Category 1 Defects shall be dealt with by the Operating Company in priority order as stated in paragraph 2.2. of this Part.

2.2.2 The Operating Company's inspection team or initial Incident Response Resources shall make the Category 1 Defect safe when identified. This shall be through executing immediate repairs, removing the hazard or by taking any other measures necessary to protect the public and other users of the Unit.

2.2.3. Where a Category 1 Defect renders a Trunk Road unsafe for road users, the Operating Company shall, under Police instruction or on receipt of an appropriate Order, close the relevant part of the Trunk Road for as short as a period as possible while remedial action is undertaken.

2.2.4 Where a Category 1 Defect cannot be repaired immediately or the hazard cannot be removed, the Operating Company shall take action to make the area safe until the required temporary or permanent repairs have been completed.

2.2.5. The temporary or permanent repairs shall be undertaken as soon as possible and no later than: (i) 06.00 on the day following identification for Category 1 Defects on carriageways, and (ii) within 24 hours of identification for all other Category 1 Defects

2.2.6 Where a temporary repair has been carried out, the deferred permanent repair period for the following Defect types shall be:

(i) 28 days for carriageways surface, and (ii) 56 days for Bridge parapets.

2.2.7. All other Category 1 Defects shall be repaired permanently within the specific period referred to in this Part, or no later than 28 days after identification where no specific period is stated.

Other defects not necessitating immediate attention are categorised as Category 2 and monitored for future deterioration during safety and detailed inspection. These defects form the basis of future maintenance schemes.

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FOI-17-01570 Defect Summary Report_ information.pdf

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