Users have their say on future roads investment

28 June 2017

Having spoken to over 10,000 road users since becoming the watchdog in 2015, Transport Focus is calling for a commitment to deliver their top priorities for improvement for England’s major roads.

Launched at the New Civil Engineer’s UK Transport conference, the watchdog’s report details the top road user issues that should be tackled by the second Road Investment Strategy 2020-25.

Drawing on Transport Focus road user research, the report calls for a number of areas of improvement to be delivered as part of the next Road Investment Strategy.

Anthony Smith, Chief Executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said:

“What road users want must be at the heart of the second Road Investment Strategy, whether it’s about maintaining the existing roads or providing more capacity to increase reliability and reduced journey times.”

“As Government decides what it will buy from Highways England in the next five years, the voice of the road user must be heard loud and clear. Transport Focus will provide that voice. Car drivers have different needs to lorry drivers, who have different needs to cyclists. All have to be taken into account.”

The report’s key recommendations, drawn on a number of Transport Focus research projects, include:

Enhancing safety

• Further reductions in the number of accidents on motorways and major ‘A’ roads, including those which do not result in death or serious injury

Improving journey times

• Reducing congestion and increasing predictability through better operation of the network and investment in new capacity

Future-proofing new investment

• Making sure investment made in the second Road Investment Strategy is ready to accommodate connected and autonomous vehicles

Improving roadside facilities

• Addressing deficiencies at motorway services, particularly in provision for lorry drivers and in facilities for users of Highways England’s ‘A’ roads

Providing better information for users

• Providing the information road users, including the logistics industry, need to take informed decisions at times of disruption, whether planned or unplanned

Improving road surface quality, signage and lighting

• A zero-tolerance approach to poor quality road surface, signage, road-markings and lighting.

 

Notes to editors

Road users’ priorities for the Road Investment Strategy, 2020-25 report can be found here.

Transport Focus took on the responsibility for the National Road Users’ Satisfaction Survey in April 2016 and is currently developing a new survey which will replace it in due course.

For further information please contact:

Kieran Watkins, Senior communications officer

Tel: 0300 123 0836 or e-mail: kieran.watkins@transportfocus.org.uk