Would you like traffic incident response services with that?

If the trend towards road user charging continues then that relationship and providing quality customer service will require a significant change in focus for these agencies.

Road agencies have limited opportunities for a direct relationship with their customers, the road users, not like toll road operators.

Two of the major challenges facing road agencies will be dealing with traffic congestion, and securing funding – hence the growing interest in congestion charging. Traffic incidents can have major impacts, resulting in gridlock for hours. Congestion is not only growing, it is becoming more volatile as well.

So what can be done?
A combination of managing existing infrastructure more efficiently through active traffic and incident management, adding more capacity and moderating demand through price and non-price measures.

Direct road user charging is only utilised for toll roads. Market forces already determine a number of the services we consume, including telephone, internet access, energy and water supply. Extending user charging to road use seems inevitable.

The challenge when a ‘user’ pays for a service is they expect higher levels and quality of service – customer service. Private toll road operators already understand the importance of providing a high level of service to their customers to ensure patronage growth.

A step in the direction of developing that relationship between a road operator and road users and building a positive image or brand is providing incident response services.

The public sector operated Florida Turnpike in the US and the Highways Agency in the UK and private operators such as Transurban on their Citylink toll road in Melbourne are examples of road operators that have moved in this direction.

Providing traffic incident response services is an ideal mechanism to provide a very positive image of helping stranded motorists or road users caught up in traffic queues – a win-win situation all round.

Using traffic incident response services to build positive customer relationships with road users, increases the level and quality of service and provides a pathway for the introduction of road user charging. Worth considering in the search for congestion mitigation measures.

Would you like traffic incident response services with that?