Proposed reform of the Highways Agency goes too far, an influential committee of MPs warns in a report published today (Wednesday).

The Transport Select Committee says it is not convinced by the case for establishing the Highways Agency as a Government owned company. It suggests that benefits of introducing five year funding plans could be achieved through better management of the existing Agency.

“The Committee strongly supports the five year funding plans being introduced for the Agency, but is not convinced that it is necessary to change the Highways Agency’s status,” committee chair Louise Ellman says.

The Committee’s report ‘Better roads: Improving England’s Strategic Road Network’ adds that an advisory or oversight body reporting to the Secretary of State would not be sufficient to scrutinise the performance of the proposed Highways Agency GoCo. It calls for a new scrutiny body to have the power of a full regulatory authority.

Last week the Transport Secretary approved reforms to the Highways Agency which will see it turned into a Government owned company in less than 12 months. It claims that changes to the Agency will save the taxpayer at least £2.6Bn over 10 years and make the new company more accountable to road users and to Parliament.

A second report published by the Transport Select Committee today calls on the Department for Transport to be more candid about the adverse impacts of major transport schemes on local networks and localities. The report, which examines the National Policy Statement on National Networks, also asks DfT to require promoters of road schemes to embed improvements in road safety for all road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We are tripling the amount of investment in our roads to over £3Bn a year and will spend £28Bn up to 2021. Our reforms to the Highways Agency will make sure this money is spent efficiently by introducing long term funding and independent scrutiny.”

photo: Highways Agency

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