New driving law changes are set to be launched in the near future following a public consultation with hopes the changes could lead to fewer delays on the nation’s roads.
As part of new rules, the Government will look to require highway authorities to spend a minimum of 50 per cent of surplus lane rental funds on repairing potholes.
It will also look to increase fixed penalty notice (FPN) charges for fines relating to offences under the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) 1991.
Proposals included in the consultation would look to either raise them in line with inflation or double them. The Government will proceed with the second option.
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The Government is looking to crack down on overrunning road repairs
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The plans will also give the green light for overrun charges to be applied at weekends and bank holidays.
Highway authorities will also be able to issue FPNs for late submission of notices regarding when the work will stop and start at weekends and bank holidays.
According to the consultation outcome, the Government plans to lay regulations that will make the necessary changes to come into force in the summer of 2025.
It acknowledges that there will be concerns about new charges and expensive costs from the extended fines for utility companies.
Utility companies could soon be hit with fines if their roadworks overrun
PA
However, it states that there are “avoidable costs” which will not be handed out if utility firms comply with regulatory requirements.
It comes as the Government has boosted funding for road repairs by £1.6billion with hopes that this will fill in seven million more potholes next year.
In total, over £327million will be given to local authorities in the north west, north east and Yorkshire and Humber, £372million for the East Midlands and West Midlands, £244million for the East of England, £322million for the south east and London and £300million for the south west.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was an urgent need to repair roads across the country, adding that “broken roads can risk lives and cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds on repairs”.
Data from the RAC suggests that drivers encounter an average of six potholes per mile in England and Wales, with the average pothole damage to vehicles costing around £500.
The additional funding represents an increase of almost 50 per cent in local road maintenance funding from last year and goes beyond the Government’s manifesto pledge to fill in an extra one million potholes.
The original funding boost was unveiled in the Autumn Budget in October and provided a £500million cash increase on 2024-2025 local roads maintenance baseline funding.
Asphalt Group Managing Director Stephen Cooke, managing director of Asphalt Group, said: “We welcome the new funding but underscore that longer-term investment and planning are key to repairing our roads.
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Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander backed the new funding for road repairs
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“We need to invest in proven materials, systems and surface treatments that will make the road last longer.
“With a £16.3billion repair backlog, we have to move away from maintaining the status quo. We must make sure we embrace a new culture of building roads that last.”
