Traffic and roadworks under scrutiny

Monday 04 November 2019

"Radical bus diversions" and up-to-date information about road closures will be put under scrutiny in the States this week.

Deputy John Gollop will ask Environment & Infrastructure President Barry Brehaut whether the Island Road Information System [IRIS] is still fit-for-purpose, whether re-opened roads are communicated well enough and whether vulnerable islanders are losing access to vital bus routes because of diversions caused by roadworks.

Deputy Gollop's three submitted questions are: 

1. IRIS, the Island Road Information System, has been an important tool in road closure management and communications for a number of years. Are there digital and operational improvements that could be made to ensure the system is fit for purpose?

2. Sometimes, anecdotally, roads are signposted online and/or manually as closed to through traffic but in reality can be safely traversed. Can such scenarios be more instantly managed and communicated via social media?

3. There appears to a be a growing trend of radical bus diversions cutting off vast areas of the Island and potentially vulnerable members of the public losing their bus services for days or weeks at a time! Can health and safety requirements be adapted to suit more flexible public transport alternative routes?

He and other Deputies will also be allowed to ask supplementary questions based on Deputy Brehaut's answers to the written questions, which will take place on either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on when debate on the States Budget is concluded. That is due to start tomorrow. 

Pictured top: Recent roadworks at Havelet and, inset, Deputy John Gollop.