Government has 'failed motorists' (From Penarth Times)

Government has 'failed motorists'

3:20pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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THE GOVERNMENT was accused of failing motorists over congestion caused by accidents on motorways.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said ministers had "no comprehension" of the "huge cost impact" of the slow clear-up of traffic accidents.

She said the Government had built less than 20 miles of new motorway since 1997 and had a road maintenance backlog of 13 years.

Junior transport minister Chris Mole described her comments as "somewhat surprising" given the Conservatives' commitment to "vote blue and go green".

Ms Villiers' remarks came during Commons question time, after Tory former minister David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells) asked ministers about clear-up times.

He said: "After quite minor accidents, the police are inclined to regard the accident as a scene of crime and cordon off long sections of motorway - causing immense tailbacks ...

"This is a particular problem at the Bristol end of the M5 during a busy holiday period when the motorway is already congested.

"There must be a better way of doing this - take photographs, get the vehicles off and get the traffic moving."

Mr Mole said the Highways Agency intended to improve clear-up times.

"The police have to take as long as it takes to deal with what we can be a potential scene of crime," he said.

"The Highways Agency has helped the police with technology to rapidly determine and accord the position of vehicles and evidence and ... traffic officers follow the completion of this work to get the motorway open as soon as possible."

Ms Villiers asked about the estimated cost to the UK economy of an hour's closure of a stretch of key motorway.

Mr Mole said: "We know that closure does impose costs which is entirely why we do want to ensure that we have the most effective response to incidents ... "

Ms Villers told ministers: "You have no comprehension of the huge cost impact of these closures, you have broken your promises on congestion again and again.

"In your entire term of office, you have built less than 20 miles of new motorway and you have a road maintenance backlog of 13 years."

The Government had "manifestly failed" motorists in Britain, she added.

Mr Mole said: "That's a somewhat surprising response from Her Majesty's Official Opposition, who once told us to vote blue and go green.

"That clearly is no longer their commitment if what they're talking about is a massive investment in motorway building."

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