Each year British industry wastes over £20 billion because of congestion on its roads network. But those charged with planning the future capacity and design of roads seem to have little understanding of the needs of freight and how it works to support the economy, said the Freight Transport Association.
Better roads, and first and foremost, investment in key Trade Routes will reward the UK economy and our competitiveness, it added.
FTA chief executive Richard Turner said: ”The UK economy is the fourth largest in the world but has a woefully inadequate motorway network. In his Pre-Budget Statement the Chancellor is expected to make clear his transport spend settlement and FTA believes that the nations key Trade Routes should be top of that priority list - M1, M25, M4, M6, M60 and M62.
“Roads are a vital ingredient in our twenty-first century society providing the track for the movement of people and goods - in fact 84 per cent of freight is now carried by road, with 40 per cent of goods vehicle miles carried out on the motorway network Enhancing the capacity of these roads by adding an extra lane - just 12 feet of carriageway - would ensure that the network is up to the job.
“Despite the fact that consumers want more choice, and for the product of that choice to be delivered to their front door, the transport industry works under constant threats of restraint to its operations. The environmental lobby constantly seeks to inhibit lorry operations, local authorities frequently do so by access restrictions relating to time or weight levels, and national and European legislation, like the Working Time Directive, dictates further controls. With all of these problems it is essential that the transport industry has available a roads network fit for the purpose of delivering the goods.
“In the summer FTA led a delegation of road user groups including The AA Motoring Trust, British Chambers of Commerce, CBI, RAC Foundation and the Road Haulage Association to lobby the government for increased transport spending under the banner Jams Ahead, Economy Behind.
“Of course we must make better use of the capacity we have at present by improved traffic management, real-time information for rivers, better incident management and encouraging vehicles to travel off-peak as well as utilising other modes of transport. But our campaign proved that there is no adverse public reaction to the idea of widening existing Trade Routes - the case was made and accepted. Sadly, the Government still has not given it priority in public spending - the Pre-Budget Statement is an opportunity to redress the balance.”
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