Eamonn Butler has a depressingly familiar CAPX piece on the state of British roads and an equally familiar lack of official interest in sorting it out. Well worth reading as a reminder that this is unlikely to be something the Burnham regime tackles.
Why can’t Britain fix its roads?
- The AA estimated the total cost of repairing damaged vehicles at £645 million for pothole-related incidents in 2025
- After the 2011 earthquake, Japan rebuilt a 150-metre stretch of motorway in just six days
- Authorities should charge contractors through mechanisms like lane rentals so roadworks get finished quicker
When you drive through the potholes and your suspension gives out, or when you sit fuming at temporary traffic lights because of roadworks, it’s for a reason. It’s because the cost to you in delays and disruption doesn’t figure much in the council’s budgeting or the contractors’ work schedules. The familiar ‘I don’t give a **** about your problems, mate, it’s our tea break’ attitude.
You might think the roads are in an appalling state, and you’d be right. I’ve seen better roads in Kathmandu (albeit the ones that run past the Transport Ministry). Here, our own Department for Transport says that in 2022-23, for example, England alone underwent 2.2 million street and roadworks, causing travel disruption costs of around £4 billion. According to data obtained by Sky News, the 425,524 miles of UK roadworks in 2024 were equivalent to circling the earth 17 times.
2 comments:
So glad I've given up the driving now.
James - we're tempted, so often it doesn't seem worthwhile.
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