Following an announcement from the Department for Transport (DfT) that it is funding more than £93 million in improvements to the road network, Christopher Snelling, Head of UK Policy at FTA comments:

“FTA and its members are thrilled the DfT has announced this funding programme; the road network has been subject to chronic underinvestment for many years. Businesses within the logistics sector rely on efficient, effective road networks to keep goods moving across the UK, but too often, these operators are forced to travel along damaged, congested roads which increase journey times and can cause costly damage to vehicles. These businesses are paying the price for an ongoing lack of investment in the road network; the performance of the UK economy has also suffered as a result.

“However, it is disappointing that this funding package does not go far enough to tackle the total picture – the poor state of roads across the nation. Taxes on UK road transport are the highest in Europe; HGVs alone pay enough tax to fund more than 90% of the current amount spent on road maintenance in the UK. More investment is needed urgently and we hope that this is the first step in the creation and completion of a more comprehensive road improvement strategy.”

Efficient logistics is vital to keep the UK 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. FTA is one of the biggest business groups in the UK, supporting, shaping and standing up for safe and efficient logistics. We are the only business group in the UK that represents all of logistics, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.