European Road Infrastructure Congress
The format for our Conference this year will be a little different in that it is part of a larger 3 day Congress we are organising with the European Road Federation – the very 1st European Road Infrastructure Congress – for full details, please visit www.eric2016.eu
It is an interesting time in the highways sector; Highways England was established last year as an independent body with a ring-fenced budget of £15billion; across the continent, innovative new technology is changing the way the highways network is used, managed and maintained, and recently, the 10th Annual Road Safety Performance Index was released which shows that road fatalities across Europe are not decreasing but are in fact stagnating. The advent of ERIC will be an opportunity for policy-makers, academics, researchers, highway authorities and industry representatives from across Europe to share their interests and expertise, and engage with others of similar interests from further afield. The best method to deal with challenges thrown at the highways industry is to cooperate, not just nationally, but internationally, to ensure future socio-economic development. This will help to deliver new and improved infrastructure, adapted infrastructure to meet the ever-changing technological requirements, and ultimately improve road safety for all users and help meet the ambitious target set by the EU to reduce fatalities by 50%.
There are three key themes to the discussions at ERIC:
- The delivery of road infrastructure: How can delivery models be improved to allow highway authorities to request improved solutions while providing the industry with an ideal use of public resources and gaining value for money?
- Delivering Road Safety: Progress has stalled on the target of reducing road fatalities across Europe by 50% by 2020. How can we work concurrently in order to identify practical solutions to enable Europe’s ambitious, yet achievable target to be met?
- Adapting the existing road infrastructure: Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and can be used to the benefits of the highways infrastructure, road-workers and road users. With the introduction of solar roads in France and electric lanes for HGVs in Sweden, Tomorrow’s World is here today; we need to ensure that we are at the forefront of any technological advancements to improve the highways network.
We encourage our members to attend the full congress to share knowledge, learning points and to forge new contacts within the UK and European highways sector. We have put together a number of attractive packages for our members which include the following:
- A social evening in Leeds on Wednesday 19th October – the theme is ping pong and pool and of course we will provide food and initial drinks
- The RSMA anniversary and awards dinner on 20th October will end the Congress and member conference and we will ensure that the entertainment programme and food are both enjoyable and memorable. The dinner is preceded by a drinks reception and pre-dinner entertainment
- The RSMA conference on the morning of the 20th October will, as always, have a number of interesting speakers and our second Member Interest Group will no doubt prove as popular as the first. The AGM will, as always, form part of our conference.
Further information will be published nearer the time, however, bookings are now open at: www.eric2016.eu/#!registration/z565v
A discounted package is available to cover attendance at all parts of the event including hotel accommodation - Please click the RSMA Members button to secure your place.
The Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA) represents and supports its members and the industry as a whole, providing a base for discussion, training and standards that help to ensure the health and safety of operators and to develop a highly trained, fully-qualified workforce.
The organisation has been established for over thirty years, promoting the industry as a whole and the collective interests of its members. About 90% of companies involved in the road marking industry are represented, ranging from the smallest to the largest organisations, throughout the country.
The RSMA's team of dedicated professionals is here to support its members. If you are unsure whom to speak to, each member of the team should be able to help, whatever your enquiry.
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