From tomorrow, April 1, new regulations will ensure utility companies resurface roads to the best possible standard after street works. It is hoped this new policy from the Department for Transport will prevent thousands of potholes from developing in the future.
The Government will be investing over £5.5billion by 2025 in highways maintenance, as well as saving motorists from needing expensive repairs when driving over potholes.
Alongside the avoidance of tyre and suspension damage, the new rules will make roads safer for cyclists and motorbike riders.
At present, around a third of street works are inspected regardless of how well the fixes are carried out.
The “street works regime” will assess utility companies on the quality of their repairs to monitor their performance.
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Those companies with the best ranking and performance will be inspected less, while the worst-performing organisations will receive more scrutiny.
While this may be played down by some companies, highways authorities will be charging £50 for every defect inspection.
Following this, it will cost poorly performing companies £120 for follow-up inspections, thus incentivising those to avoid the expensive fees.
Mark Harper, Transport Secretary, praised the amount of money being allocated to deal with potholes, adding that it was more evidence of the Government being on the side of the motorist.
He even vowed to “leave no stone unturned in the fight against the plague of potholes”.
The MP for the Forest of Dean, added: “The new street works regime is a victory for all road users, with motorists and cyclists able to enjoy smoother, safer, and less congested journeys as we continue to level up transport across the country and grow the economy.”
According to Government data, telecom companies are the worst-performing sector, being at fault for almost 13 percent of poor repairs.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled a massive £200million spending boost to “fill the curse of potholes” on UK streets during his Spring Budget earlier this month.
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This money will be given to the Potholes Fund, in addition to the £500million allocated through the spending review every year.
Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, said it is urgent that work is completed as potholes can be potentially lethal for those on two wheels.
He continued: “Utility companies have a responsibility to ensure roads are properly repaired after carrying out essential maintenance, but unfortunately far too many roads are left in a substandard condition.
“Introducing new regulations to encourage repairs to be done to a higher standard first time around will benefit all road users.”
The new measures will also ensure drivers are prioritised and made aware of any companies filling in any potholes. They will need to inform the Department for Transport’s street manager service with accurate data, especially at weekends.
It is hoped this will ensure companies include start and end times for their work, helping to ease congestion on the roads. Given the DfT’s reach, this will update sat navs and other traffic apps with the latest data so people can avoid those areas and save time.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “This welcome measure is long overdue and ensures those who dig up the road put it back in good condition. Time after time, drivers up and down the country see the filled-in trenches of work carried out by utilities companies, only to find craters appear shortly after the cones are removed.
“Giving councils more powers to call the culprits back and fix their mistakes is only right, but we hope this policy provides the crucial benefit of getting road repairs right, first time.”
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