UTILITY companies may have to pay up to £1,000 a day to dig holes in the road in the future, following a House of Lords amendment to the Transport Bill now making its way through Parliament. The move is part of an RAC Foundation campaign to encourage the Government to charge utility companies for the inconvenience their holes in the road cause to road users.

It is hoped the daily charge will encourage utility companies to complete their work promptly and to co-ordinate more with other companies. It is estimated the traffic chaos caused by holes in the road costs the economy almost £2 billion a year.