Announcement on Smart Motorways welcome but more must be done on staffing, says Prospect

Garry Graham, deputy General Secretary of Prospect the biggest union representing National Highways staff, responding to the government's announcement on Smart Motorways, said:

“The decision by the government to delay the roll out of All Lanes Running Smart motorways for information gathering is welcome and goes some way towards addressing the safety issues Prospect and others have been raising for some time. Increased use of software to detect stopped vehicles, and more frequent safe refuge areas are both things we have been calling for and which will make motorway operation safer.

“What’s missing though is any recognition of the role played by Traffic Officers and staff in Operations Centres in making Smart Motorways safe. These are the people who identify and then co-ordinate the response to incidents, and who are first responders on the scene. There are currently staff shortages in some parts of the country for both Traffic Officers and Operations Centre staff, made worse by the recent pay freeze. Pay rates need to be looked at again to make sure pay is line with other emergency service workers or we will continue to struggle to recruit and retain sufficient staff.”