'Jam tomorrow as well'
Page 6
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CALL for the Government to rease spending on road mainlance by 10 per cent a year in ii terms has been firmly reted by the Government.
"ransport Secretary Nicholas Hey, in his reply to the deInd from the all-party transrt select committee, said the Istraints on public spending npletely ruled out the posility.
'ointing out that over the last ,en years 95 per cent of local hority bids for road mainten:e had been accepted, Mr Rid
said the Government had loosed that major mainten:e work should be reclassified apital spending which would e authorities more flexibility. 'Jr Ridley also hinted that islation could be on the way nake public utilities fill in the d to a much higher standard en they dig it up although he )ed the improvements could achieved voluntarily.
,xle weighing is to be incorated in the national traffic sus in the near future to pro more up to date estimates standard axles per vehicle.
1r Ridley revealed that the ternment is considering the .ssibility of introducing a onal register of overloading victions as an interim mea3 ahead of full computerise
of traffic area inforcement )rds.
he British Road Federation that it is unimpressed by se words and has published a let identifying the worsening dition of Britain's roads and principal reasons for this.
cites the main problem as : of funds and a "penny;Fling" attitude of successive ernments towards mainten ance over the last decade which failed to recognise the 80 per cent increase between 1967 and 1980 in the volume of traffic using motorways and trunk roads.
To remedy the situation the BRF has emphasised the Transport Committee's findings on the need for a 10 per cent expenditure increase in real terms on local highway maintenance each year for several years. This equates to an additional £1.2bn above the White Paper plans in each of the next three years, it says.
Other remedies the BRF would like to see include funds for upgrading traffic signs and road markings and the strengthening of bridges reconsidering of future design standards so that new roads can accommodate any traffic level increases in future years; and more pressure put on public utilities to have road surfaces as near to their original condition as possible.
And as winter approaches the BRF has highlighted the annual problem facing local authorities over winter maintenance.