THE Refined Bitumen Association has called for part of the near £30 billion raised in road-user taxation annually to be ring-fenced both at Treasury and local authority level to pay for road maintenance.

In calling for a 'fundamental change in road maintenance funding and road taxation' to make the road network self-funding and arrest its decline, the RBA claims there is a £1.5 billion shortfall in the amount local councils need to maintain roads with the poor condition of highways highlighted by £33 million being paid out last year by local authorities to road users for accidents caused by road structural conditions.