🕒 Article read time: 2 minutes
£8 billion boost to repair roads and back drivers
Last Friday (17 November 2023) the government announced its plans for an £8.3 billion long-term roads repair programme, enough to resurface more than 5,000 miles of road across the country over the next 11 years.
Each local authority will be able to use a share of the £8.3 billion to deliver improvements to the roads most in need of repair.
THE VIEW FROM LOGISTICS UK
“Any investment to improve the state of Britain’s roads is welcomed by logistics businesses, which have been severely impacted by the decline in the state of highways in recent years,” says Michelle Gardner, Deputy Policy Director at Logistics UK.
“Our members currently face significant bills for repairs caused by pothole damage (on average, £575.74 for an HGV and £246.87 for a van) while the impact of taking vehicles off the road for repair is interrupting the supply chain.
“Given the size of the roads repair backlog and that logistics businesses pay £5 billion a year in Fuel Duty and Vehicle Excise Duty, the lack of urgency to implement plans is disappointing: our sector wants to see this new funding spent more quickly, to get our roads back into a good state, and more funding allocated after that,” continues Gardner.
“We want to see sustainable, long-term funding for local authorities to address the pothole problem – rather than being dependent on political cycles.
“As well as funding transport maintenance, our members also need to see a long-term transport investment plan for logistics that resolves the capacity constraints that will result from not building HS2 beyond Birmingham,” adds Gardner.
THE VIEW FROM GOVERNMENT
“For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families – tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example,” says Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Prime Minister.
“Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
“This unprecedented £8.3 billion investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes,” adds Sunak.
Click here to be directed to GOV.UK for further details on the funding package.
*www.logistics.org.uk/campaigns
Published On: 23/11/2023 16:00:00
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In Brief
Public Accounts Committee warns of a lack of net zero planning
The Public Accounts Committee has published a warning that the country’s net zero target is in “jeopardy” due to the government’s lack of long-term investment planning.
Logistics UK believes that a fair and swift transition to a green economy is paramount and is calling for greater visibility of and a greater say on the government’s decarbonisation plans. In addition, Logistics UK is pressing government for incentives, regulatory changes and investment to increase the uptake of green technologies that are available now.
To be directed to the full report click here.
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