Welcome
Background
The Traffic Management Act (TMA) is seeking to encourage all those with underground assets to exchange information to facilitate better street works cooperation. New technologies are emerging to help enable this. However, if asset data is recorded to different referencing standards, and on different media, its usefulness and reliability may be compromised, leading potentially to inefficiency and delay, which in turn could impact on safety. Facilitating the exchange of data will do nothing to improve the quality of what is exchanged. To meet the requirements of the TMA for more effective inter-organisational communications on street works activities and underground asset location, consistency is required in referencing and recording asset information. Unless a more consistent and compatible approach is employed to recording, storing and sharing asset record information, the possibility of achieving any future anticipated benefits of new technology will be threatened, and the technology-based aspirations of the TMA are likely to be compromised.
NUAG
Set up in 2005, the National Underground Assets Group (NUAG) is a group of relevant stakeholders, including utilities and local authorities, established to support the Department for Transport (DfT) in achieving the relevant TMA targets, and to act as a point of focus and single voice for everyone involved with underground, and appropriate associated above ground assets. NUAG complements the existing arrangements between DfT and the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC(UK)). The group consists of prominent figures representing the following organisations:
- Department for Transport
- National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG)
- Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC (UK))
- Institution of Civil Engineers / Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors
- UK Water Industry Research
- Pipeline Industry Guild
- Ordnance Survey
- Association for Geographic Information
- County Surveyors Society (CSS)
- National Street Works Highways Group (NSWHG).
