British motoring association, the AA, has warned conditions will worsen if ministers continue to cut funding for local roads.
The AA spoke out last week, claiming that England’s local roads network cannot take another round of cuts. This comes after latest reports revealed that a third of the nation’s B and C roads were rated in amber or red condition in 2022.
The Road Conditions in England statistics, published on the 3rd of November 2022, provides data on the condition of all major road networks in the country. This includes reporting on damaged road surfaces, skidding resistance and highway treatments.
The percentage of B and C classified roads with a red, or unacceptable, rating was 6%. This figure has remained unchanged for the past six years. A further 28% of these local roads had an amber rating.
Furthermore, the report admits that 15% of unclassified roads that required repairs were not considered for maintenance in 2022.
Despite the stagnant progress in improvement, the government funding for highway maintenance has been frozen at 2021-2022 levels for the next three financial years and may be cut back further late this month.
Responding to this decision, Head of roads policy Jack Cousens said: “Roads across the country are in an awful state and, with winter just around the corner, the plague of potholes will only spread.
“Local roads are at great risk of becoming dangerous and need significant invest to make them safe. Smooth roads also encourage people to cycle more, which would help reach our net zero targets.
“Our local roads cannot take another round of cuts. The prime minister and chancellor should avoid slashing local road investment later this month.
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