A day in the life of Transport for Buckinghamshire

Learn what a day at the office (and all over the county!) entails for the team at Transport for Buckinghamshire.

At Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB), no two days are ever the same. One thing is certain though – every day starts with a cup of something hot! Brews aside, whether we’re working in the office, at a depot, or out on site, a successful day is built on cooperation and joined-up working…

7:00 – 9:00

TfB operatives arrive at our depots in Aylesbury, Amersham, Handy Cross and Gawcott, ready to find out what the day holds – from routine maintenance to emergency pothole repairs or gritting the roads. Streetworks technicians check for updates on roadworks and that day’s utility company activities, as well as reviewing planned works that will need an inspection.

Over in County Hall, office-based staff check through overnight emails, catch up with the rest of the team (over coffee of course!) and find out what work is planned for the day.

9:00 – 10:00

The day gets going in earnest. Some of the Network Safety team are on site with Thames Valley Police to review collision data to help plan a new educational campaign to promote speed reduction. In County Hall, designers and highway technicians meet to look at ways to address a collision problem on a major rural road.

Meanwhile, the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) team have identified an issue on the A413 via their CCTV systems – a water main has burst and needs to be fixed as a matter of urgency. The Communications team have been informed, so that traffic information can be shared with the public via Twitter and Facebook and the water company are on their way – much to the relief of the TfB crew on site diverting traffic round the ever growing flood of water!

10:00 – 13:00

Within an hour, the Local Area Technician (LAT) is on site with a Streeworks technician to check the traffic flow and inspect the damage to the road from the leak, so they can make plans with the utility company for permanent repairs once the immediate emergency is dealt with. Meanwhile, crews due to be working on pothole repairs on the diversion route have moved on to other work so they don’t add to the traffic congestion.

Back in the office, the rhythm of the monthly business cycle marches on and the Business Improvement Team is working hard to complete reports to ensure the whole contract is on track and targets are being met. The Finance team is busy working on a client audit, and the commercial team is dealing with supply chain invoicing.

13:00 – 14:00

Just because it’s lunch time doesn’t mean the action stops… The Streetworks team have had a request from a film crew who want a permit to film on a residential road in Buckinghamshire for an upcoming TV drama and an inspector is meeting with residents and the local county councillor to hear their concerns.

In the Griffin Lane depot, the Streetlight team is busy planning the next phase of the LED conversion programme – the team have a continuing countywide programme to replace all old-style sodium lamps with more efficient LEDs by 2020. Around 3,000 lamps have been replaced this year.

Meanwhile, back in County Hall, the Senior Management Team are meeting with the health and safety advisor following yet another incident where an irate motorist forced his way through a road closure and abused the crew trying to repair the road. Plans are made for more bodycams and further publicity campaigns to “respect our workers”.

14:00 – 17:00

The Customer and Communications team have had to deal with some reactive press, as the local newspaper has caught wind of this morning’s burst water main and want a statement before the paper goes to press the next day. The team must liaise with the LAT and the Streetworks team as well as the Senior Management Team, Client Team and County Councillor Mark Shaw to get an accurate statement sent to the journalist before 3pm!

In a small Town Hall in rural Buckinghamshire, the Parking Manager is meeting with a local town council about a controversial parking scheme. The scheme was requested by a local resident at one of TfB’s Local Area Forum (LAF) meetings. One of TfB’s Customer Compliance Officers (CCOs), who work closely with local communities across the county, set up the meeting with local stakeholders so that any concerns they and the local public may have can be considered before the scheme is taken forward formally.

Following the burst water pipe, there’s concern that it may have caused flooding to a subway, so an inspector and an operative from the Structures Team head out on site to inspect the damage and ensure it is safe for pedestrians.

Around 16:00, most crews are off the network ahead of the evening peak, and vehicles are washed down and prepped for the following day.

Back in County Hall, it’s the Asset Manager’s birthday, and, as tradition dictates, he has bought cakes for the team. All washed down with a cup of tea of course!

17:00 - 18:00

The day at the office starts to comes to a close, and square-eyed office workers are sending one last email before switching off their monitors.

It doesn’t end there for everyone though! Traffic cameras are monitored through the evening rush-hour and plans are made for the following day’s work. In some cases, stand-by crews work through the night, with a 24/7 emergency phone line (the ‘bat phone’!) being monitored. Winter maintenance teams remain poised and ready for action between October and April, and duty supervisors keep a watchful eye on overnight re-surfacing works. 

The fun never stops at TfB!

Learn more about Transport for Buckinghamshire

The TfB team have written an article explaining who they are, what they do, their pledge to customers, and how people can get in touch to report problems. Have a read here >

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