The Transport Committee holds the final session of its inquiry
into managing the impact of street works on surface quality and
road and pavement users by questioning , Minister for the Future
of Roads.
The inquiry set out to investigate the rules and regulations
surrounding utility companies' ability to dig up roads to carry
out maintenance on infrastructure such as cables, sewage pipes,
water and gas mains.
In this session, the Minister will face questions on whether
there could be an improved inspection regime that better supports
local authorities, and gives them more powers to penalise poor
reinstatement work while incentivising good practice.
MPs will also be interested to hear whether the Department for
Transport thinks there is a problem of ‘immediate permits' being
overused in cases that have been known about for weeks, allowing
companies to bypass some checks and balances.
The cross-party Committee will ask whether England should have a
Road Works Commissioner, as is used in Scotland to mediate
disputes between councils and utility firms.
The Minister also faces questions on what the Government has
learnt from the adoption by some authorities of lane rental
schemes to incentivise quicker completion of work, and whether
this system could be replicated across the country.
There may also be questions around how local authorities can
ensure good practice as electric charging infrastructure is
installed on local roads to enable the transition to EVs.
Witnesses from 09:15
-
MP, Minister for the
Future of Roads, Department for Transport
- Anthony Ferguson, Deputy Director for Traffic and Technology,
Department for Transport
