RSTA News
Calls by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CLIT) for the government to give higher priority to maintaining existing transport infrastructure rather than build new roads and rail have been welcomed by the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA).
A survey of 1,244 transport managers and experts carried out by the Institute found that the majority believed that maintaining existing roads was more important than building new motorways.
With the government’s spending review set for October, the Institute members said that the key priority was for transport spending that supported economic growth or reduce congestion.
The cost of poorly maintained roads to the national economy and to pressurised local council budgets is considerable. It is estimated that Britain’s crumbling roads cost the economy some £20 billion every year and cost councils an annual £53 million in insurance claims. “We fully support and welcome the findings of Institute’s survey. One only has to look as the disruption and costs of the impact of potholes during the last winter to know that trying to save money by not maintaining roads properly is not an option”, said Howard Robinson, chief executive of RSTA.
It is estimated that some £10 billion is required to repair the UK’s road network with long-term planned maintenance rather than emergency patch-and-mend. “There is a wide range of surface treatments that enable more for less. They provide cost effective solutions that extend the life of our road network,” said Robinson. “Our road network is an essential asset. Failure to properly maintain it will have severe safety and economic consequences”.
