However, Porter added: “This focus on long-term, preventative maintenance is a positive step, but investment must go hand in hand with measures that improve driver behaviour and road design. A truly effective road network is one that is not only reliable and resilient, but also consistently supports safer driving and reduces the risk of collisions for everyone using it.”
This announcement by the Government comes hot on the heels of the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s annual ALARM report. This states that the cost to fix local roads across England and Wales now sits at over £18 billion, with the £28 billion just announced by the DfT only covering major roads under the jurisdiction of National Highways. In effect, this means that while the announcement of investment is certainly welcome, it won’t fix the issue of crumbling local road infrastructure.
Admittedly, the Government did announce a four-year injection of cash into local roads valued at over £7 billion all the way back in the 2024 Autumn Budget, but the AIA believes getting the cash up-front would help local authorities fix problems before they develop and clearly display the value of the investment.
AIA director Malcolm Simms told Auto Express: “By frontloading we could do the job now and demonstrate in those early years that this is having a positive effect. That’s more likely to encourage [the] Government and authorities to provide that investment in the long term and better quantify their needs.”
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