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A new budget for road development works has been set for Colombia’s Arauca, Boyaca, Casanare, Cundinamarca, and Santander departments. Improving road links has been set as a priority by the Colombian Government. For the 10 year period from 2019 to 2029, some US1.2 billion is being budgeted for developing road infrastructure as well as tourism facilities in the respective departments. Of this budgets, around 2/3rds will be provided by the Colombian Government. Local authorities will be expected to provide th

The poor state of maintenance of UK roads is a factor in many crashes while also causing damage to vehicles according to road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart. In a bid to address the issue, IAM RoadSmart is calling for a long-term plan to tackle the problem. According to a survey it conducted, nearly 50% of the respondents have experienced pothole damage to their vehicles. The government’s Transport Select Committee has issued a report stating that the current short-term approach to financing road maintenan

A finance package is being secured for the project to widen Route 2 and Route 7 in Paraguay. The package is worth US$500 million in all. The work for the project is being handled by the Rutas del Este consortium. Sacyr holds 60% of the consortium, with Ocho A holding the remaining 40%. The Rutas del Este consortium holds a 30-year concession for the two routes.

The Netherlands is evaluating new options for road tolling across the country’s network. A national road pricing scheme could be introduced from 2026, which would see road users being charged by the distance they travel. There is widespread recognition that the existing method, of using fuel taxation to pay for road works, is unsustainable as the EV fleet grows. Three options are being analysed. One would see drivers of electric vehicles being charged/km, while internal combustion engine vehicles would cont

A major road widening and upgrade project is to go ahead in the UAE. The project will see the existing Dubai-Al Ain Road being widened and improved along a 17km stretch. At present the section of road features three lanes for traffic. However the US$544.6 million project will see the stretch of road benefiting from three lanes in either direction, doubling capacity from the current 12,000 vehicles/hour. The move is intended to boost safety and reduce delays for drivers. The first phase of the project should

Tough new laws are to be introduced in the UK for drivers. New regulations will mean that drivers who cause road fatalities while using their mobile phones will face a life sentence in jail. At present, the most serious driving offences can result in a 14 year jail sentence in the UK. However the new laws will see the maximum life sentence being imposed instead. The aim is to send a message to drivers that bad driving is unacceptable. In 2018, 122 people in the UK were sentenced for causing death by

Burkina Faso is planning a major road upgrade programme. The Burkina Faso Government has set a budget of US$309 million to improve several key road sections. A portion of the funding being supplied by Japan. Funding is also being supplied by the West African Development Bank and through the Burkina Special Road Fund (FSR-B). The country’s capital, Ouagadougou, will be amongst the cities to benefit from new and improved roads. Ouagadougou’s Tansoba Boulevard south-eastern ring road will benefit from a $45 m

A notable improvement has been seen in road safety in Lithuania. This is of note, given that the country used to have an extremely poor record for road crashes and road fatalities. In the period from 2001 to 2018, the country’s average road fatality rate plummeted by 75.9%. This is the biggest reduction in road deaths seen in any EU nation, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). The safety improvement has been continuous in Lithuania during this period according to the ETSC’s data, which

The Japanese authorities are taking steps to ensure greater road safety for ageing drivers. This follows data showing that elderly drivers are involved ina worryingly high number of serious road crashes in Japan. And with the age demographic of the country increasing, the problem looks likely to grow unless addressed effectively. As a result, older drivers will be able to benefit from fixed charges for using taxis, in a bid to tempt them away from using their own cars. Older drivers may also face changes t