The Government does not know whether the funding it allocates to councils to fix the pothole-riddled local road system is being used effectively, auditors warn.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has provided between £1.1 and £1.6bn of capital funding each year to local authorities and has set out plans for additional funding through to 2034.
However, according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO), the DfT does not have a good enough understanding of the condition of local roads and does not use the limited data it does have to allocate its funding as effectively as possible.
The report concludes: ‘[DfT] does not know whether the funds it allocates are delivering improvements in road condition, and has not updated its guidance to local authorities, to share good practice and help them make the most of their limited funds, for some years.’
Responding to the report, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: ‘It’s bad enough that historically the Government doesn’t really know just how bad our roads are. But it’s absolutely staggering that it doesn’t know whether the money it gives to councils has been used effectively.’
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘We are absolutely committed to tackling the poor state of our roads. That’s why we’ve pledged to support local authorities to fix local pothole-ridden roads for the long term.’
If this article was of interest, then check out: Potholes: What Labour should do to fix local roads.
