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Transport User Voice November 2024 – Less than half of logistics and coach companies satisfied with England’s major roads
01 November 2024
New survey reveals
Less than half of logistics and coach businesses are satisfied with England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads, in Transport Focus’s latest Logistics and Coach survey.
The survey asks freight and coach companies how well these roads, managed by National Highways, meet their business needs. The survey focuses on road surface quality, information, accident response, the quality of rest facilities and National Highways’ overall management of the roads.
The Logistics and Coach Survey, referred to in the current Road Investment Strategy, is expected to become an official indicator of National Highways performance shortly. Over the four years of this survey, overall satisfaction has declined from 55 per cent in 2020-21 to 44 per cent in 2023-24.
Satisfaction with clearing up after accidents and with rest stop facilities were rated lowest. For day-to-day management of National Highways’ roads, safety scored highest with 60 per cent rating it as good.
Businesses said they would like to see the following improvements:
- a reduction in the length of roadworks, with repairs being carried out in smaller bursts;
- more live information made readily available to them;
- better rest stop facilities; and
- for National Highways to clear incidents more quickly.
Lorry driver facilities
The ratings for lorry driver rest stops are of particular concern. Just 17 per cent rated the quality of facilities as good and 23 per cent rated how many stopping places there are as good. Value for money of rest stops received the lowest individual rating, with less than one in 10 saying this was good.
Lorry driver facilities will be an ongoing area of focus for the watchdog with the first results from its new Lorry Driver Facilities Survey published next week during National Lorry Week.
Look for more information on the experience of lorry drivers themselves and what they say about the availability and quality of rests stops in our upcoming report.