1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136 
Stop-go roads crisis
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Tax payers will be hit for an extra 120 million because of Britain's stop-go road building policies, MPs have warned. The Commons' Public Accounts Committee has accused the Department of Transport of raiding funds intended for vital repairs in favour of high-profile plans to open new roads. This means that crumbling roads which need renovation deteriorate further and eventually require more expensive repairs, says the committee. "We consider that this is a striking example of shortsightedness in saving now, but spending later," it concludes. Switching repair funds of around 270 million meant that the eventual cost of tackling the problems rose by up to 2120 million, say the MPs. "We recognise that the attractions of cutting a ribbon on a new road are more obvious than the benefits from the more mundane task of keeping existing routes in good condition."
The British Road Federation has welcomed the Public Accounts Committee's report. "The committee has clearly shown the substantial cost of delaying maintenance," says BRF director Peter Witt. "I hope this report will end any lingering doubts that there might be an advantage in "saving now but spending later" where road maintenance is concerned, and I hope the government will now ensure that the programme to clear the maintenance backlog by 199293 is kept on target."