RAC response to Spending Review and Highways Agency announcement

The Government today announced plans for a £100bn modernisation of the UK's infrastructure including £28bn for road improvements over the six years from 2014, of which £10bn will be dedicated to essential maintenance to motorways and major trunk roads between 2015-16 and 2020-21.

RAC technical director David Bizley said: “It is good news for motorists that the Government has recognised both the need for significant maintenance and appropriate investment in increasing road capacity to remove the bottlenecks on some of our busiest roads. These plans must not be blown off course by changing governments or by any new priorities that may emerge.

“The key words in Mr Alexander’s speech were that the Government is ‘legislating to ensure these reforms and this investment is guaranteed’.

“It is essential that our motorways and major roads are run as efficiently and effectively as possible and that this bold investment plan is delivered on time and within budget so that motorists and businesses can reap the benefits and we see a genuine reduction in congestion and poor road surfaces. This will ensure the strategic road network is an enabler, rather than an inhibitor of economic growth.

“The decision therefore to follow the recommendations of the Cook Report and make the Highways Agency a more commercial entity that is still ultimately responsible to the Government is a welcome move which should bring many benefits for the motorist.

“We welcome the Government’s commitment to fund local road maintenance but there must be some risk that the benefits of this could be undermined by the further overall cuts to local authority grants which could reduce their ability to contribute to their share of local road maintenance from the money they generate themselves. We know from the RAC Report on Motoring 2013 that spending on local roads is the number one priority for motorists.”