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Roads management must improve to keep the country on the move, say coach and delivery companies in new survey

Key findings

One quarter (26 per cent of managers taking part in the survey were dissatisfied, and only half (52 per cent) were satisfied, with how Highways England’s roads serve their business.

Many businesses don’t feel their needs are considered sufficiently well by Highways England, especially in relation to how and when roadworks take place. Managers want to know about roadworks sooner, especially where roads will be closed entirely.

Managers of coach and logistics operators think poor road surfaces are costing them money by pushing up their operating costs.

They also believe their obligations to adhere to regulations that govern drivers’ hours and the time-critical nature of their operations are not sufficiently front of mind for Highways England when managing incidents that disrupt traffic.

Two-fifths of the organisations that participated in this survey say their business is threatened by disruption on the road network because they can rarely extend contingency time. Two-thirds need to arrive within one hour of the time specified in their contractual agreements.

Freight and coach businesses want more parking spaces and better vehicle security at roadside services, and for these facilities to offer better value for money.