FTA calls for more clarity on road improvement plans
Responding to the publication of the UK government’s Initial Report on its second Road Investment Strategy (RIS 2), the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has call for “urgent confirmation” on the government’s priorities.
In a statement sent to Post&Parcel, the FTA said that the report “does not contain sufficient information for operators who need to implement business planning and future investment programmes”.
FTA Head of Road Network Management Policy, Malcolm Bingham, commented: “Although the Road Investment Strategy will set out spending priorities for 2020 onwards, it’s vital to get the approach right at this stage. FTA members want to see more detail included now, to ensure key improvements are not overlooked or removed during the process of decision making. We appreciate the government has commissioned strategic studies investigating some of the biggest challenges facing our road network, but those key investment priorities must be pinned-down to give industry the time to prepare for major infrastructure projects. It’s not enough to say roads will be improved – we need to know which ones, and when!”
As Post&Parcel reported yesterday (13 December), the Department for Transport has opened its consultation period, which will run until 7 February. The department will use the results of the consultation to help develop the next Road Investment Strategy which the government is expected to publish in 2019.
