Government urged to boost road spending
The Government should increase spending on the UK’s road network to match what is being spent on rail, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA).
It claims that the spending on the two forms of transport is vastly disproportionate, with roads carrying 90 per cent of freight and 94 per cent of passenger movement – but only receiving 63 per cent of investment.
The FTA is calling on the Government to match its record level of investment in rail to prevent the loss of “enormous” amounts of money and man hours on congestion hit roads.
Chief executive of the FTA, Richard Turner, said: “The Government has realised that more money must be spent on the railways if they are to work well and safely, and we welcome that. But a lack of past investment is afflicting our road network and we simply must now take action on the appalling waste of money and man hours created by congestion on our trade route motorways and all over the UK roads network.
“Roads need investment too and spending 37 per cent of transport investment on rail when rail represents, at best, just ten per cent of freight and only six per cent of passenger movements is lopsided logic and is a disservice to both industry and car drivers.
“Current investment strategy will not produce an integrated transport system, nor in many cases any system at all, because the vast majority of rail movements of people and freight depend on a road journey as well. People and freight need good safe roads. We are grossly neglecting our present and future needs by failing to provide a roads network fit for the purpose of delivering the fourth largest economy in the world. The daily burden of congestion for people and goods is colossal and unacceptable.”
Any rise in investment on the roads is sure to be fiercely criticised by environmentalists, who argue that the Government should be doing everything possible to move goods and people onto public transport.
