RAC comments on new rules to cut congestion caused by roadworks

RAC chief engineer David Bizley: “Nearly a fifth of motorists surveyed for the last RAC Report on Motoring told us that better maintenance of local roads is their number one priority for council investment, so there is an acceptance by drivers that roadworks are a fact of life.

“At the same time, the sight of roadworks left unattended while sitting in a traffic jam or when driving at the weekend is a real bugbear of motorists, so these proposals to encourage works to be completed more quickly is likely to be well received.

“Crucially, the only roads set to benefit from the Minister’s announcement are A-roads looked after by local authorities. While that should mean, over time, faster journeys for many drivers, the thousands of miles of works affecting B-roads and residential streets on which the majority of roadworks take place are not affected by the new policy. Motorists recognise that there is a cost to weekend working and whilst this is beneficial on A-roads, motorists are divided on whether a similar approach is justified on minor roads.

“Motorists need information on scheduled roadworks, in terms of what work is due to happen and for how long, so they can plan journeys as effectively as possible, and much has already been done on this through initiatives like www.roadworks.org. There are really good examples of excellent collaboration between local authorities and utility companies, and we hope today’s announcement means that even more motorists benefit from this.”