Transport Committee examines whether major road projects are meeting country’s needs
The Transport Committee will question experts on whether the Government’s policies and major investments in strategic road infrastructure are meeting the needs of road users and commitments to net zero.
The Strategic Road Network comprises 4,300 miles of motorways and A roads in England – only 2% of all roads in the country. Despite that, it accounts for about one third of all miles travelled by road.
This second session of the Committee’s inquiry into the Government’s Road Investment Strategies (RIS) comes after MPs questioned the Department for Transport and National Highways on why so many major road upgrades are behind schedule and overbudget. The inquiry was prompted by an NAO report which said the Department and National Highways could have done more to manage potential risks to the portfolio of works in RIS2, which runs from 2020-25.
Likely areas of questioning
In the first panel of witnesses, with representatives of Transport Focus, the AA, Logistics UK and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the cross-party Committee will focus on user satisfaction with the country’s Strategic Road Network, including for private-vehicle users and HGV drivers. There will also be questions on how National Highways maintains major roads and plans for future user demand, including the type of road projects that should be prioritised in future.
In panel two, with witnesses from Transport for Quality of Life, Transport Action Network and the University of the West of England, the cross-party Committee will hear whether the Government’s road investment programme aligns with commitments on achieving net zero by 2050 and levelling up. There will also be questions on how road schemes are appraised, and how plans to construct or upgrade roads strike the right balance between improving transport while not causing harm to the environment and local communities.