New Roadworks Bill proposed to ease traffic congestion
A new Roadworks Bill will come before MPs next summer intended to cut congestion on UK roads by giving councils greater powers to monitor roadworks.
The Bill, put forward by Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois, would give councils the power to block roadworks if they feel they will cause ‘unacceptable disruption’ and issue fines if they are fall behind schedule.
In a speech to the House of Commons, Francois said some construction councils show ‘a lack of any palpable sense of urgency whatever to get the job done, regardless of the inconvenience which is caused to the travelling public.’
In a speech to the House of Commons, Francois said that the proposed bill would give town and city councils new rights to refuse roadworks if they believe it will cause ‘unacceptable disruption’ to drivers and other road users.
Roadworks Bill proposed
He said: “The Bill would significantly increase the penalties for overrunning beyond the schedule agreed when the permit was first granted. Persistent offenders could be fined up to 10% of their annual corporate turnover which should make even the most high-handed company sit up and listen.
“Another related solution is lane rental, whereby companies must pay per day to carry out roadworks. This gives them a clear financial incentive to be efficient but at present it only applies to a very limited number of selected roads.”
