Skip to main content

M6 should be priority for Government investment, drivers tell FTA

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has been looking at stretches of the UK’s strategic road network that would most benefit from Government investment following the Chancellor’s commitment in his Autumn Statement to fund improvements to congestion hot spots. Philip Hammond said the Government would spend IS$1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) on improving England’s roads, including US$222 million (£220 million) on tackling congestion at pinch points and US$33 million (£27 million) on an expressway connecting Ox
December 20, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The 6983 Freight Transport Association (FTA) has been looking at stretches of the UK’s strategic road network that would most benefit from Government investment following the Chancellor’s commitment in his Autumn Statement to fund improvements to congestion hot spots.
 
Philip Hammond said the Government would spend IS$1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) on improving England’s roads, including US$222 million (£220 million) on tackling congestion at pinch points and US$33 million (£27 million) on an expressway connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
 
Road delays are a constant issue for FTA members who move goods throughout the UK. It costs around £1 a minute to run a 44-tonne truck so any hold-ups have a huge financial impact on operations.
 
FTA identified the M60 north of Manchester, the M25 to the west of London and the M6 north of Birmingham as three of the most highly congested roads and ran a Twitter poll asking drivers which they thought needed most attention. The M6 narrowly came out on top with 39% of the vote, with the M25 on 37 per cent and the M60 on 24 per cent.
 
Malcolm Bingham, FTA’s head of Road Network Management Policy, said: “Every motorist will have view on where the worst spots are on our strategic network and these figures for our poll show that there is a split opinion. It is therefore vital that we get the next programme of roads spending to address the concerns on congestion.”

Related Content

  • November 26, 2015
    Nearly one in four motorists would ‘drive more patiently’ to boost road safety
    Released to support the Brake Road Safety Week from 23 to 29 November 2015, a survey by Venson Automotive Solutions, aimed at understanding drivers’ approach to road safety found that 24 per cent of respondents felt that being ‘more patient’ would help with road safety while driving, with ‘giving themselves more time for journeys’ coming second at 20 per cent. Encouragingly, 75 per cent in the Venson poll said they would, occasionally, leave their car at home to cut pollution. This year’s BrakeRoad Safet
  • March 19, 2020
    Inrix: Bogota ‘most congested city’ on planet
    Drivers in South America endure some teeth-grindingly long waits on their commutes, according to the Inrix 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard.
  • January 23, 2015
    Private investment in Latin American infrastructure on the rise
    Private investment in infrastructure projects has grown significantly over the past decade in Latin America's six largest economies, with the exception of Mexico and Argentina, according to a Standard & Poor's report. In Mexico the retraction in private investment is explained by poor planning and execution of projects on the part of the government. Meanwhile in Argentina, the dip is explained by government intervention, according to the report. Outside the two regional powerhouses, private sector par
  • October 2, 2018
    Congestion pricing - no such thing as a free ride
    The widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles is likely to increase congestion, many experts believe. But Wes Guckert of Traffic Group believes that tolling could provide the answer. While it is still hard to wrap your head around the idea of getting into a vehicle without a driver, the industry is now used to hearing, reading, participating in the advancement of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Those in the industry have heard about Uber delivering a shipment of Budweiser, or the convoy of driverless trucks