Better roads and National Policy Statement on National Networks reports published
7 May 2014 02:35 PM
Joined-up planning for
both passenger and freight traffic across road and rail infrastructure crucial
for UK prosperity, says Transport Committee.
Joined-up planning for both
passenger and freight traffic across the UK’s road and rail
infrastructure is crucial for future prosperity, warn MPs in two new
reports.
Effective regulation and long-term funding plans are essential for investment
in the strategic road network.
These are key conclusions from two reports issued today by the Transport
Committee - one examining the proposed planning policy framework for nationally
significant road and rail infrastructure projects (the “National Policy
Statement on National Networks”) and the other examining the strategic
road network in England.
Chair's
comments
Launching the two reports Louise
Ellman MP, Chair of the Transport Committee, said today:
“The DfT must plan for new
road and rail investment by looking at future passenger and freight demand by
route or region, not by looking at road or rail in isolation from each other,
as is done at the moment.
“There must also be a more transparent system for road planning as part
of a wider national transport strategy. As part of this, the DfT’s
National Transport Model (NTM) should be subjected to proper scrutiny. The
Department has already conceded that it does not work well for forecasting
London traffic and needs to be reviewed.
“If our recommendations are overlooked the UK won’t develop the
kind of transport infrastructure that it needs over the longer
term.”
In their report examining the
National Policy Statement on National Networks, MPs on the Transport Committee
call on the DfT to:
- specify more types of transport
scheme that are needed–such as enhancements to promote regional economic
development; better east-west connectivity on the railways; better road and
rail connections to ports and airports and to parts of the country currently
not well served by existing infrastructure.
- be more candid about the adverse
impacts of major transport schemes on local networks and localities. Provide
clearer guidance about when the benefits arising from any scheme would justify
such impacts.
- address criticisms of the
DfT’s road and rail demand forecasts more explicitly.
- include an estimate of the
impact on UK carbon emissions of meeting projected demand for growth in road
traffic by building more road infrastructure.
- make explicit reference to the
desirability of connecting HS2 to the classic rail network, to ensure more
people from around the UK can benefit from the new high speed
line.
- require promoters of roads
schemes to embed improvements in road safety for all road users including
pedestrians and cyclists.
In a report looking at the
strategic road network, the Committee concluded that the case for establishing
the Highways Agency as a Government-owned company (GoCo) was not
convincing.
Chair's
comments
Commenting on this topic Louise
Ellman said:
“The Committee strongly
supports the five-year funding plans being introduced for the Agency, but is
not convinced that it is necessary to change the Highways Agency’s
status. The Government has decided to make this change so we call for a far
stronger system of regulatory oversight than is currently
proposed.
“The SRN is a crucial part
of our national transport system but has suffered from inconsistent funding and
policy over the past twenty years. If the traffic forecasts are correct, then
Government will need to increase investment in the road network substantially
over the next decade - a period when we also know that tax revenues from fuel
duty are bound to decline as vehicles become more fuel efficient. Against that
backdrop the Committee recognises the need for a consensus around how to raise
the money required to modernise the UK’s road
network.”