The Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) is backing a programme designed to end abuse of highways workers and has called on local authorities to supply data from the last five years around incidents of incursions and abuse. Stamp it Out, the industry backed taskforce launched by Safer Highways, is driving to eliminate abuse and incursions into closures on both the local and strategic network. In order to do this it needs to get an overall picture of the issue around abuse. Councils can provide figures that relate to the last five years of abuse incidents by using the link here and filling in the information that is required. All responses are anonymised. Stamp it Out delivers a programme of activities to help deliver real change to how society behaves towards road workers to enable operatives to go home safe everyday without the risk of physical or verbal abuse. These activities include conflict management training, a reporting tool and a public awareness programme. The taskforce works alongside the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), DfT, National Highways and Transport Scotland to deliver change. LCRIG Chief Executive Martin Duffy said: "The majority of journeys start and end on local roads. Our members are responsible for maintaining them and play a vital role in ensuring that they remain safe for people to use. They often do this in difficult and challenging conditions so the fact that this can then sometimes be made harder by way of members of the public abusing them either verbally or physically is totally unacceptable.
"The Stamp it Out programme is designed to raise awareness of these issues and I would encourage our members to provide the data that is required. It is only by doing so that we can get a true reflection of the severity of the problem before further lobbying for change to make operatives lives safer." In response to this Kevin Robinson, CEO of Safer Highways and one of the project sponsors for the Stamp it Out programme explained why a joined up approach from all stakeholders is so vital. He said, “Abuswe of roadworkers is nothing new, but in recent months there has been an alarming escalation in both the number of cases and indeed the degree of severity. “That is why the work of Stamp it Out is so vital to ensure that the grid people we put to work on a daily basis on the road network go home safe everyday. “The only way that we can do this is to show a united front in delivering a programme which truly, I believe, will deliver societal change. “For that reason I am delighted that LCRIG have decided to join our other key stakeholders in becoming a champion of the programme."
For further information visit https://www.stampitout.uk