Road funding must increase, say MPs

THERE needs to be a big increase in Government funding and a change of approach for England's major road network if predicted traffic increases are correct, according to MPs.

But any move towards using road charging to pay for the extra funding couldn't be achieved without broad agreement among politicians and motorists, said the House of Commons Transport Committee.

In a report the committee added that it was "not convinced" by the case for establishing the Highways Agency, the body responsible for England's motorways and major A-roads, as a Government-owned company.

Launching the report, the committee's chairman Louise Ellman said: "If traffic forecasts are correct, then government will need to increase investment in the road network substantially over the next decade – a period when we also know that tax revenues from fuel duty are bound to decline as vehicles become more fuel efficient.”

She continued: "The DfT must plan for new road and rail investment by looking at future passenger and freight demand by route or region, not by looking at road or rail in isolation from each other, as is done at the moment."

A DfT spokeswoman said: "We are tripling the amount of investment in our roads to over £3 billion a year and will spend £28 billion up to 2021.

"Our reforms to the Highways Agency will make sure this money is spent efficiently by introducing long-term funding and independent scrutiny.

Campaign for Better Transport's roads campaigner Sian Berry said: "The report shows Government must stop making plans for big new trunk roads across the countryside and go back to the drawing board. We urgently need to replace the 'dash for tarmac' with co-ordinated decisions bringing together road, rail and local transport."

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "This is yet another report which calls on Government to at least start talking about how we tackle these issues. Doing nothing will not make the problems go away."

The AA said it agreed with the committee's view that there needed to be a substantial increase in investment for roads.

AA president Edmund King said: "Motorists currently contribute around £46 billion per annum in taxes yet little more than £8 billion is spent on the roads.”

By Press Association reporter