THE RAC Foundation is calling on the Government to rethink its roads policy in order to avoid gridlock.

It has blasted the Government's approach to roads as 'ad hoc and short-term' and has identified a list of urgently needed improvements to the strategic road network in a new study.

To keep to a reasonable and manageable programme, the list is confined to those the foundation believes are crucial to effective operation of the network.

It has concentrated on the strategic network motorways and trunk roads because, even though it accounts for only about 4% of the entire network, it carries about 35% of traffic, including more than half of all road freight movements.

A spokesman said: 'Latest figures from the Government's 'Transport Trends' report show clearly that the road network has not kept pace with demand. While road traffic grew by 75% between 1980 and 2002, the total length of roads increased by only 10%.

'For the longer term, a comprehensive review is needed to establish priorities in terms of the objectives for the network over the next 30 to 50 years.'

It claims that even if wider road pricing schemes are introduced in the future, this would not be an alternative to creating extra road capacity that is necessary to meet rising demand.

Commenting on its new study, David Holmes, RAC Foundation chairman, said: 'Our report, Motoring Towards 2050, was widely welcomed as a contribution to the transport debate.

'This study takes our work forward. It shows that significant practical improvements to the strategic road network are necessary and affordable.

'As the motorist is already contributing some £44 billion in motoring taxes each year, an improvement programme of this magnitude over 10 years would be excellent value for money.

'We claim to be the fourth largest economy in the world, so surely we can afford a decent road system to support economic growth?'

RAC Foundation key points

  • Continue with projects already approved – including widening the M1, M6, M25 and A12
  • Reconsider rejection of A27 improvements on the South Coast and the Western Orbital Route around the West Midlands as recommended by Multi-Modal Studies
  • Reconsider the need to widen key sections of the M4 and M3, which it claims the Thames Valley Multi-Modal Study failed to address satisfactorily
  • Put in hand a small number of key improvements to relieve problems and improve the operation of the network around the country – for example, A1 in the northeast, A5 in the West Midlands, A47 in East Anglia and A64 in Yorkshire
  • Improve the North Circular Road in London and create a short new link between the M1 and A1

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