Drivers across the UK could save up to £440 on car repairs as the Government cracks down on local authorities and road maintenance issues.
The Government revealed it will require local authorities to submit quarterly reports from June 2024 which detail what maintenance work on roads took place over the past three months.
The new initiative forms part of the Government’s bid to be “on the side of drivers” as it starts to allocate more funding to improving UK roads.
The latest tranche of the £8.3billion from the HS2 funding is set to be dished out to local authorities with the intention they use it to make journeys safer, faster and smoother.
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£8.3billion worth of funding will be delivered for roads
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The new requirement could now save motorists up to £440 on vehicle repairs as a result of pothole damage and other problems caused by poor road conditions.
For many councils, needing to report on road repairs may be the first time they have to do this, the Department for Transport said.
Taking this into account, the DfT said it expects the overall quality of reporting from councils to improve over time with the department keeping the quality of their reporting under review in the interests of taxpayers.
The reporting requirement means councils will have to show areas which are planned to benefit from maintenance and also how they plan to tackle wear and tear going forward.
The changes announced by the Government come alongside other measures to help improve road journeys for drivers who may be delayed by obstructions.
Restrictions include looking at the effectiveness of traffic schemes like low traffic neighbourhoods and 20mph speed limits which have faced mixed views from local residents.
Last November, local authorities benefited from £150million to improve badly surfaced roads and pothole-ridden streets, with another £150million due to come in this financial year.
As a condition of this funding, local authorities now need to make sure money is being spent on repairs with councils having to publish a two-year plan detailing exactly which local roads will benefit.
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this Government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest an additional £8.3billion in the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.
“Alongside this unprecedented funding, which is already being used to improve local roads, we’re making sure local people can hold their local authority to account and see for themselves how the investment will be spent to improve local roads for years to come.”
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, added that with additional funding, he hopes councils will also use this extra money to carry out vital surface dressing work which helps prevent cracking in the cold winter months by sealing roads against water ingress.
The prime time for this life-extending work is between April and September, so time is of the essence, he warned.
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Mark Harper said this was evidence that the Government was ‘on the side of drivers’
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The £8.3billion funding for roads resurfacing is being used across the country to improve conditions of travel.
A number of roads are set to undergo repairs including the A43 at Towcester, A164 between Beverley and Hessle and the A4146 at Leighton Buzzard.
