Reacting to the launch of the Strategic Roads User Survey (SRUS) Summary Report on road communication, Malcolm Bingham, Head of Road Network Management at FTA, the business organisation representing the logistics sector, commented:

“Highways England must improve the way it communicates road updates to fleet operators, in the view of FTA, if Britain’s freight industry is to continue to support the nation’s businesses efficiently. While Transport Focus’ survey does show the service provided by Highways England is getting better, there are still several areas of concern. Most notably, Highways England must improve the way it shares information on roadworks, closures, and accidents. Due to a lack of accessible and practical information, operators are struggling to understand the best route to take when such events occur.

“The logistics industry is the lifeblood of the UK economy; for it to continue to operate effectively, it needs an efficient and fully maintained road network that is designed to meet the needs of logistics businesses. FTA hopes Highway England will listen to this feedback and take action to address these common concerns.”

Efficient logistics is vital to keep Britain trading, directly having an impact on more than seven million people employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. A champion and challenger, FTA speaks to Government with one voice on behalf of the whole sector, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers.