Reacting to the news (1 July 2019) that the Transport Select Committee has called for a five-year fund to undertake pothole repairs, Christopher Snelling, Head of UK Policy at FTA, commented:
“As the business organisation representing the logistics sector, FTA fully supports the Transport Select Committee’s calls for a five-year pothole repair fund; the road network has been subject to chronic underinvestment for many years. Taxes on UK road transport are the highest in Europe, yet our roads continue to be underfunded; HGVs alone pay enough tax to pay for more than 90 per cent of the current amount spent on road maintenance in the UK. Large potholes are an all too common sight – costing businesses in the logistics industry millions of pounds a year in vehicle repair and hire replacement. Potholes are dangerous to cyclists as well as damaging to vehicles; it is ridiculous that we still have this problem in today’s Britain.
“While this funding would play a vital role in improving the nation’s road network, it would not offer a complete solution; estimates show it would cost £9.79 billion and take ten years for highways departments in England and Wales to catch up on the road repairs needed*. This investment must be viewed as part of a more comprehensive, long-term road improvement strategy.”
*According to The ALARM (Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance) Survey 2019 published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance
