§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what incentive schemes are in operation to encourage motorway and other major road maintenance contractors to complete repairs on or ahead of schedule; whether any new incentives are planned; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe main incentive to contractors to complete maintenance work as soon as possible is the use of lane rental contracts. Since these contracts were introduced in 1984, they are estimated to have saved over 2,000 days of lane closures worth around £40 million in avoided delays to road users.
As well as encouraging contractors to complete work more quickly, we are acting to reduce the impact of works on the road user. A number of new traffic management arrangements are being tested to increase vehicle flows past contraflow sites. These include the use of narrower traffic lanes to enable more lanes to be provided, and tidal flow systems in which the number of lanes available in each direction changes to match traffic demand. The Department is also developing a computer system to assist in optimising the planning and scheduling of maintenance and improvement works on trunk roads, including motorways, to minimise disruption to road users.