The RAC Foundation is calling for a roads regulator and consumer watchdog for drivers.

It says unlike other utilities such as water, electricity and even the railways, there is no independent regulator to determine funding requirements, approve investment plans and monitor service standards for this strategic network.

Nor is there a consumer watchdog to protect and promote the interests of road users, despite the fact that motorists contribute some £46 billion to the Treasury each year in road tax, fuel duty, and other vehicle related charges, added the RAC Foundation.

It has published ‘The Governance and Administration of National and Local Roads in Great Britain’, arguing that the need for such bodies be urgently considered by Government.