UK spends too little on roads
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BRITAIN'S road-building programme is trailing sadly behind that of the rest of Europe, at least as far as motorways and A-roads are concerned. That is the opinion of the British Road Federation's Tony de Boer. Indeed, both Tony de Boer and Nigel Haigh, of the Civic Trust, were strangely in agreement on this point.
Other delegates agreed, saying that the numerous antimotorway lobbies had had a disastrous effect on progress. What was needed, claimed Mr de Boer, was a powerful political lobby to prevent the decline.
Brigadier D. Locke, director of the Chartered Institute of Transport, said that a professional approach to lobbying should be applied to improve the resources available for all infrastucuture work. Cuts in highway spending had resulted in a poor network. However, major UK undertakings were useful to the entire EEC corn-_ munity and not just Britain, as they would allow free transit of goods between us and our European partners.
As the volume of trade with the EEC is predicted to increase eightfold by the end of the century — according to Nigel Haigh — the spending was needed now.
Roads to our ports on the East and South Coasts were very poor, and traffic problems would be exacerbated by a Channel tunnel if road transport alone were to be used in it. It would, according to Nigel Haigh, become a honeypot for all hauliers on TIR work in Europe unless some form of price barrier is introduced to ensure that the goods are carried on the railways.
Nigel Haigh declared that the road-building programme is not in fact being impaired by demonstralions. He claimed that work will go On regardless of other road building, within the allocated road budget.
His view, however, was not shared by other delegates, who believed that roads such as the M25 — London's orbital motorway — are being held up despite funds being made urgently, available by successive Governments.
Eddie Price of T. J. E. Price, Cardiff Ltd, complained that there are still only 50 miles of the M4 into Wales.
The general consensus of delegates was that as Britain's GNP increases so too does the amount spent on roads and all other transport modes.