PRESS RELEASE

MPs publish damning report on Government’s flagship roads programme

Welcoming today’s publication of the Transport Committee’s report [1] on its Strategic Road Investment inquiry, which Transport Action Network (TAN) gave oral and written evidence to [2], Chris Todd, director of TAN, said:

“This is yet another damning report for the bungling duo that is the Department for Transport and National Highways. Their continued arrogance and obsession with road-building has led to another fine mess of overspending, while underdelivering. Rather than more slapstick comedy, decisive action to cut carbon and congestion is long overdue. The MPs’ clear message that ministers need to consider measures to cut traffic must not go unheard.

“The Committee’s call to consider ‘cancelling complex, costly enhancement projects’ to free up funding for filling potholes will be welcomed by the public, however they travel. This must include local authority roads, which are in a terrible condition.

“In a week that has seen roads in northern England under water while those in the Med are on fire, it’s time to recognise the need for more funding to protect existing transport networks from runaway climate change. The moment has come to bring National Highway’s plans for a future of ever bigger roads down to earth.”

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Notes to Editors:

[1] The Transport Committee’s report on Strategic Roads Investment was published today, Thursday, 27 July, 2023

[2] Evidence submitted to the Transport Committee’s inquiry on Strategic Road Investment can be found here. Details of the oral evidence can be found here.