David Giles, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, has issued a response to this week’s announcement of DfT\s highway maintenance funding paclage.
“Government commitments to local roads spending is welcome, but short-term cash injections, even
with greater accountability and strings attached, are not likely to improve conditions,” says Giles.
“Decades of underfunding now means that the backlog of carriageway repairs stands at almost £17
billion and one in every six miles of the local road network reported to have less than five years’ structural
life remaining*. So, if we want our local roads to improve, the focus needs to shift from the number of
potholes filled to giving local highway engineers the tools to do the job so that they don’t form in the first
place.
“Local authorities have told us they would need their budgets to more than double for next five to 10 years to tackle the backlog of repairs. That’s why we have been calling for a multi-year frontloaded and ring-fenced funding commitment, similar to those that the rail and motorway sectors benefit from. This would allow authorities to plan, provide better value for money for taxpayers and deliver a more resilient network while helping to kickstart the Government’s economic growth plans.”
(Pic: AIA)
