UK report warns Scotland's roads likely to get worse

The UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers has urged the Scottish government to make long-term funding for roads a higher priority. The ICE’s call comes after publishing its report State of the Nation Scotland 2018: infrastructure investment. In it, the ICE says that the newly formed Scottish Infrastructure Commission must be independent, transparent and be evidence-led in its recommendations to the Scottish government.
November 12, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

The UK’s 5180 Institution of Civil Engineers has urged the Scottish government to make long-term funding for roads a higher priority.

The ICE’s call comes after publishing its report State of the Nation Scotland 2018: infrastructure investment. In it, the ICE says that the newly formed Scottish Infrastructure Commission must be independent, transparent and be evidence-led in its recommendations to the Scottish government.

The report warns Scotland's roads will get worse because of a lack of long-term maintenance funding. ICE, which said Scotland's local and trunk roads do not receive long-term funding settlements, pointed to only 63% of local Scottish roads were in an "acceptable" condition.

One of the report’s recommendations is for the Scottish government to consider how replacements for the vehicle excise duty – called the road tax and paid by car owners – and the fuel duty could be used to fund highway maintenance.

The report also notes that in 2017 the Scottish government said it would set up a national investment bank with around €388.3 million for initial capitalisation between 2019-21.

4068 Transport Scotland is responsible for 3,600km of motorways and trunk roads — about 7% of the total network. Local councils are responsible for 52,400km of A, B, C and unclassified roads.

Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Make the move to warm mix
    May 15, 2020
    Warm mix asphalt accounts for just 4% of asphalt production in the UK.
    Read More
  • PPRS speaker and MEP Cramer will urge more road maintenance
    February 3, 2015
    The chairman of the European Parliament’s transport committee wants an emphasis on road maintenance and finishing international connecting roads systems than on new grandiose highways. If national government’s fail to do this, as it’s their responsibility, then the European Union’s major cities can look forward to increasing gridlock in the coming decades. Congestion and maintenance are first and foremost the responsibility of member states and nobody wants to change this,” said Michael Cramer, chairm
    Read More
  • America: on the brink of better road asset management
    February 23, 2015
    It’s make or break time for highways maintenance in the United States, according to Greg Cohen, head of the American Highways Users’ Alliance, speaking at the Pavement Preservation and Recycling Summit in Paris today. What happens in the next year will make the difference between a decade of continuing crumbling road infrastructure or a renaissance in America’s highways, he told delegates attending the first day’s afternoon plenary session. All state governments must submit a road asset management plan to t
    Read More
  • A game changer for the Balkans – road safety & innovation forum
    July 10, 2019
    IRF Expands Operations in South East Europe Close to 300 delegates, including representatives from key Bulgarian road agencies, took part in the 2nd Road Safety & Innovation Forum on May 15th at the joint invitation of the International Road Federation, EuroRAP and the Bulgarian Branch Association for Road Safety. “We had designed this event with the idea that countries such as Bulgaria, currently lagging behind in meeting their traffic injury reduction targets, could seize technological enablers that
    Read More

Highlighted Content