Launching on National Pothole Day (15 January 2024), Roads Minister Guy Opperman has opened a street works consultation on a series of measures to prevent utility companies from letting roadworks overrun and clogging up traffic as a result.
The consultation seeks to extend the current £10,000 per day fine for overrunning street works into weekends and bank holidays as a deterrent for working on the busiest days for road travel. Currently, utility companies are only fined for disruption on working days.
The plans would also direct at least 50% of money from lane rental schemes, which allow local highway authorities to charge companies for the time that street and road works occupy the road, to be used to improve roads and repair potholes.
The AA had to deal with 631,852 pothole-related incidents related to tyres, wheels, steering, and suspension in 2023 – a five year high – and estimated to have cost UK drivers as much as £500m in repairs.
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “After investing an extra £8.3 billion to resurface roads across England, the largest ever increase in funding for local road improvements, this government continues to back drivers with these new measures from our Plan for Drivers.
“Our new proposals seek to free up our roads from overrunning street works, cut down traffic jams and generate up to £100 million extra to resurface roads up and down the country."
Jonathan Walker, Head of Cities and Infrastructure Policy at business group Logistics UK said: “Congestion is a major cause of delays for the logistics industry, which ultimately leads to disruption and costs for businesses and consumers. Any measures that result in more efficient roadworks and fewer road closures are therefore positive and must be part of wider measures that improve the condition and reliability of the road network as a whole.”
In addition, the government plans to make all temporary, experimental or permanent restrictions on traffic digital. These so-called traffic regulation orders (TROs) include things like the location of parking spaces, road closures and speed limits.
Making these digital means they must now be added to satnav systems, ensuring drivers have the most up-to-date information, making journeys easier and paving the way for more reliable autonomous vehicles.