CBI says private investment and broadband access could save money lost to road congestion

A survey by the CBI found that 80 per cent of companies regard roads as being “vital” to their business, while 96 per cent of companies wish that an incoming government would show some fresh thinking on roads and make tackling rush hour congestion a priority.

The CBI said that congestion on British roads is costing the economy around seven to eight billion pounds a year, following a rise in vehicle traffic of 25 per cent in the last two decades. The value of money lost to congestion is likely to grow by more than double by 2025 unless action is taken, the CBI said.

John Cridland, the CBI’s Deputy Director-General, said, “For too long, Britain’s roads have been a cause of frustration and delays for our businesses and commuters. Some government initiatives, such as road-widening schemes or using the hard shoulder on motorways, have been welcome but hardly scratch the surface of the problem.

“Now is the time for fresh thinking on the roads. We need a radical overhaul of how we travel and manage our road system if we are to do more than simply tinker at the edges. Merely slowing the endless rise in congestion is not enough. The CBI would like to see policymakers put the same amount of energy and vision into roads as they are doing on high speed rail.”

Some of the proposals put forward by the CBI to help ease the problem included introducing flexible working patterns to stagger commutes, promoting car sharing among employees, introducing “yellow bus” schemes to reduce school run traffic and appointing “Street Works Commissioners” to ensure that utilities and road works do not overrun.

The CBI also called on the government to keep its promise of delivering broadband access to all homes and businesses by 2012, thus allowing people to work at more flexible times and in more flexible locations.

In addition the CBI urged investment in roads at points of high congestion, introducing tolls on some roads and tapping into private investment to fund road improvements.