13 December 2012. GeoPlace has launched a new service, designed to assist the Department for Transport (DfT) to fulfil a requirement to make streetworks information more accessible for the general public and other interested parties.

The new Streetworks Signposting Service is available through the NSG website, www.thensg.org.uk. It enables users to search for streetworks via a map or free text search function and then directly link to the relevant highway authority streetworks register.

Under the New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991, English local authorities are required to make their streetworks register available to the general public.

However, for people wanting to access streetworks information across the country from a number of different highway authorities, visiting numerous websites is a time consuming and unwieldy exercise. The new GeoPlace service provides a portal to access this information from one place.

Government is committed to making it easier to access public data, easier for data publishers to release data in standardised, open formats; and engraining a ‘presumption to publish’ unless specific reasons, such as privacy or national security, can be clearly articulated.

In line with this desire to enable the potential of Open Data, the Streetworks Signposting Service was created in response to the Department for Transport’s Open Data Strategy. This stated that the DfT will work with others to deliver a range of highways and traffic data, including streetworks, to help reduce congestion and enable businesses to make more predictable travel and logistics decisions.

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: “Streetworks are necessary but understandably can be incredibly frustrating for motorists. This new online checking service will allow drivers to see where road works are taking place throughout England before they set off, helping to reduce congestion and improve journey times.”

Following this commitment to improve transparency of streetwork and roadwork data, GeoPlace was approached by the DfT to assist them in delivering this outcome. The Streetworks Signposting Service is freely available to all parties and the general public.

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For more information, visit www.geoplace.co.uk. And www.thensg.org.uk