Author: Robin Roberts
Take politics out of potholes, pack in funds and give Britain a smoother ride over the UK roads network, says the BVRLA.
It has welcomed the Prime Minister’s call for extra investment in roads, but called for the government to address the way England’s road network is overseen before embarking on new road pricing schemes or infrastructure projects.
Responding to Prime Minister David Cameron’s calls for an ‘urgent’ increase in private investment to improve the road network across England, the BVRLA believes the current Highways Agency should be given an independent board.
That would have the funding and accountability to deliver a long-term strategy that could resist short-term political influence and result in overall cost savings, according to the BVRLA.
The PM said that levying tolls on new roads was an option, as was seeking more money from pension funds and other investors. He also said work was needed to ease gridlock by widening ‘pinch points’ and allowing traffic to use motorway hard shoulders.
As well as asking for a ‘beefed-up’ Highways Agency with responsibility for major roads, the BVRLA points out that the government already raises far more in motoring taxes than it spends on the network.
“Any extra income the government plans to raise from road pricing or tolls should be used in lieu of what motorists pay in road tax and fuel duty, not in addition to it,” said BVRLA chief executive John Lewis.
The state of Britain’s roads is being particularly felt by those who do a high business mileage and many company car manager reports have identified serious damage to suspensions, wheels and tyres as a result of hitting potholes.
