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Title: Electronic Transfer of Notice (EToN) 4

Subject: Local Government Services

Status: agreed

Published Date: 9/1/2008
Version: 1.2(3
Description: These are revised versions of the Electronic Transfer of Notices (EToN 4) schemas previously published on 17/09/2007 and 31/10/07. The schemas have not changed in substance, only in detail as a result of ongoing review and software development work.

Please Note: Three versions have been published - the original revised schema and two amendments to correct typing errors. The third version EToN 4 v1.2(3) is the correct version and should be used.

A detailed technical specification for EToN 4 is available on the DfT website at: PDF: Electronic Transfer of Notices (on www.dft.gov.uk). This should be read in conjunction with the Issues Clarification Log available from the EToN Developers Group.

All utility works (street works) in the public highway in England and Wales must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) and associated secondary legislation. NRSWA prescribes various formal notices which statutory undertakers (i.e. utility companies mainly) must serve on street authorities. To date this process has been supported by a simple, Internet-based system known as EToN (Electronic Transfer of Notices) involving exchange of CSV batch files via FTP. EToN-compliant notice management systems are used by all statutory undertakers, local highway authorities, the Highways Agency and others in England and Wales. The majority of systems are supplied by a small number of commercial software vendors, and the remainder have been developed in-house. EToN has evolved through two major revisions to meet changes in street works legislation and has been extended to support two-way exchange of data.

The Traffic Management Act 2004 substantially amended NRSWA, resulting in fundamental changes to the noticing regime and the associated requirements for EToN. As part of the specification for the new system (EToN 4) a decision was taken by the Department for Transport (DfT) to move to XML web services. The resulting EToN 4 protocol comprises XML data schemas and web service WSDL for exchanging notifications between works promoter and authority systems. EToN 4 web services will support secure delivery of all notifications (i.e. notices from works promoters, and notices, directions and restrictions from street authorities) plus other transactions to support the operation of EToN, e.g. exchange of organisational data. An additional web service (involving return of data) is also defined for testing and troubleshooting purposes. Over 30 different notification types are supported initially using 3 data schemas.

The new regulations will come into force on 1 April 2008 in England and EToN 4-compliant web services and applications must be in operation by then.

The scope of EToN 4 will be gradually extended as the implementation of the TMA continues over the next few years.

Public consultation on this schema closed on 19 February 2008. 
   

This schema can be downloaded in the following formats: