A bumpy road ahead?

In a volatile world where things are changing fast and the economic outcome is uncertain, now is the time to invest in resilience and looking after what we’ve got. And when we say resilience, we don’t mean an excuse to add another lane or build another road to cope with more traffic. These measures are often dressed up as ‘resilience’ but then have the opposite effect as they increase traffic and congestion over a wider area.

If we are to survive and prosper, then we need to adapt to this new world and not carry on as before, hoping or pretending that nothing has changed. In a developed country, building new roads brings little economic benefit, yet the cheerleaders for more tarmac would have you believe that if only we could build another road everything would be ok. Of course it never is, but that won’t stop them telling you otherwise. Just like ‘smart’ motorways were never smart and have ended up causing major issues on our road network.

Speak to anyone in the street about what their top issues are and potholes and the state of our roads and pavements will be right up there. People are fed up with politicians’ lies and obfuscations on the issue. For how long have we heard prime ministers promising another few hundred million pounds to tackle potholes, yet still things seem to get worse? That’s because the maintenance backlog now totals £17 billion, and £500 million (Starmer’s latest sticking plaster) will make little difference. That backlog rises to £24bn when you include local bridge maintenance.

People aren’t fools; they can see our roads crumbling before their very eyes. They know that the extra money isn’t enough to make a difference, and they want it fixed. The latest claims by the government that it is saving motorists £500 by filling more potholes will be seen for what it is. The problem is that the current approach of fobbing people off is breeding discontent and distrust in politics. It is one of the reasons for the rise in Reform, and if Labour cannot see that, then it will deserve everything it gets at the ballot box.

Yet fixing our roads is actually one of the low hanging fruit. Not only would investing properly in maintenance improve the state of our roads and pavements, but it would be a very visible signal that the government was sorting things out. But it’s not just a cosmetic change, it actually brings tangible benefits to individuals and governments alike.

For elderly people it means greater certainty and safety when going out that they will be less likely to trip and hurt themselves. This gives them mental and physical health benefits and helps reduce pressure on the NHS. The same is true for cyclists, where potholes can be lethal. For drivers, it means less cost and time wasted broken down or having to get the car repaired and lower insurance premiums with fewer claims for damage. While for the government, the Department for Transport has estimated that repairing our roads brings economic benefits seven times greater than the cost of fixing them. That is a massive economic boost and far greater than any individual road scheme, most of which barely cover their costs. The other advantage is that everywhere benefits and everyone shares in the feel good factor of a more pleasant environment which can also help build economic confidence.

In the absence of any real policies to sort out the mess the country is in, Reeves and Starmer have resorted to Trump-like announcements saying they are the ‘builders, not the blockers’. But this helps no one and when they fail to deliver real change, or deliver change people actually don’t like, they will be kicked out of office while the country lurches from one crisis to another.

In our current predicament, it is essential that we make every pound of public investment work as hard as possible. You can’t get much better than a 7:1 return fixing our roads and pavements, yet the government continues to ignore this, wasting potentially £16bn of investment in the Lower Thames ‘smart’ motorway Crossing which will be lucky to break even. Was there an outbreak of joy with the recent LTC announcement? No, while some obviously cheered the news, the Dartford audience on BBC Question Time a couple of days later seemed remarkably unimpressed. But again that is not surprising as most people don’t believe new roads solve congestion and understand they will also have to suffer years of disruption before the road is built in any case.

So why is it that politicians continue to get it so wrong? After all it is not an issue confined to transport. Our schools and hospitals are also crumbling while many public services have been run into the ground. At the last general election, people voted for change, but after a bright start, all we seem to have is more of the same. Plenty of words but little practical action to start fixing the foundations of our society.

Is it because getting the basics right isn’t sexy, despite being a clear vote winner? Politicians don’t get to don a hard hat and high viz jacket when roads are repaired (maybe they should?), but they do when opening something new. Maybe they are thinking of their legacy and wanting to be remembered for bringing about change, rather than just getting on with ensuring things run smoothly? Or is it the Treasury which seems obsessed with new roads being good for the economy despite the evidence? Whatever the reason, politicians cannot seem to score what is, in effect, an open goal and we all end up paying the price as a result.

With the spending review due to conclude in June, we shall find out soon enough whether the Government is going to change its approach and start fixing the foundations, rather than just talking about it. With its funding allocations for local government and for the strategic roads network it will soon become apparent whether it is putting its money where its mouth is. Unless it makes some major changes to its approach, it’s going to be a bumpy road ahead.