Road works make life difficult for couriers
Date: 02 April 2008
A huge number of over-running road works are making life difficult for couriers and owner drivers.
According to the RAC Foundation, utility companies across England and Wales put no fewer than 2.5 million trenches into local authority roads every year.
This number of holes in the ground is the equivalent of 1,500 Albert Halls, and the congestions that is caused costs the UK a whopping £8.6 billion - with couriers among those who suffer.
Now the RAC Foundation is calling on local councils to make full use of the powers contained in the 1991 New Roads and Streetworks Act and 2004 Traffic Management Act.
They include the ability to punish companies who refuse to coordinate their works with others, or who fail to complete jobs to schedule.
The group's Sheila Rainger said: "The Traffic Management Act increases the powers of local authorities in England and Wales to set binding start and finish dates, order re-surfacing work, and fine those companies who abuse the system.
"We urge all local authorities to exercise these powers as strongly as possible, whether through the new fixed penalty schemes or through court action."
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