Business group urges rethink on 'gridlocked' roads

Britain's roads are a cause of "frustration and delays" for business drivers and are costing the economy billions of pounds each year, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said.

And a survey conducted by the organisation reveals that four-fifths (80%) of firms regard roads as vital to their business, with an overwhelming 96% believing that the incoming Government should tackle rush hour congestion as a priority.

The calls came as the group launched a report into the UK road network from the perspective of the businesses that rely on them. The report, Tackling Congestion, driving growth, argues that time and money are being wasted on congested roads, and suggests measures by which businesses and the Government can improve matters.

Among its suggestions, the CBI urges firms to adopt flexible working practices and encourage business drivers to lift-share. It adds that 'breaking out' of nine-to-five working would help reduce congestion and emissions at peak times.

While it acknowledges the lack of public funds for the road network in the current economic environment, the group urges the Government to avoid 'disproportionate' cuts. The calls echo those from the British Chambers of Commerce last month, which urged the Government to promise a decade of roadbuilding.

In addition, the CBI recommends that road spending should be focused on congestion 'pinchpoints', and that greater use is made of private investment. Deputy Director-General John Cridland said that initiatives such as road-widening or hard-shoulder running schemes had been welcome "but hardly scratch the surface of the problem".

The report's publication comes a week after the Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, detailed proposals for a high-speed rail network that would link London with other major cities in the Midlands and the north of England. The controversial plans - which have attracted guarded responses from environmental organisations and outright opposition from some pro-road groups - have been met with a mixed response among the business community.

While KPMG cited a "growing body of evidence" that such a network would drive economic growth in the long term, both the CBI and British Chambers of Commerce called for careful consideration of how the necessary funding would be secured.

The Institute of Directors was even more cautious, however, arguing that while it welcomed more funding to increase rail capacity, the Government was yet to make the case for a high-speed project rather than improvements to the existing network.

The CBI points out further spending disparities in its report. Highlighting that a third of all passenger journeys and two-thirds of freight movements were made on trunk roads and motorways managed by the Highways Agency, it adds that the agency works to a yearly budget cycle, rather than the five-yearly settlements enjoyed by Network Rail.

The group called on future governments to commit to longer-term strategies for roads spending, in order to increase confidence among the construction sector.

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