A scheme is set to be introduced to charge utility companies and other organisations for carrying out roadworks on key roads during the busiest times of the day.
The Department for Transport has approved North Yorkshire Council’s application for a lane rental scheme, which is already successfully operating in London and Kent, to reduce traffic disruption.
Under the scheme, companies would incur daily fees of up to £2,500 for undertaking maintenance work at peak times.
It is designed to reduce the length of works and encourage companies to work together to minimise inconvenience.
When piloted in the South of England, the initiative recorded a significant reduction in congestion, as companies worked outside peak times to avoid accumulating charges.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Malcolm Taylor, said:
We made the application last April, so we are delighted that we have received approval to adopt a better approach to those carrying out roadworks.
Charging for the time roadworks are in place means we can provide incentives to complete the work quickly and outside of peak times.
We hope the lane rental scheme will reduce unnecessary disruption to all road users travelling across our vast road network.
The scheme could be in operation in the spring, with any surplus invested into highways maintenance and measures that reduce disruption on the network.
North Yorkshire, which is England’s largest county, has a network of roads stretching a total of nearly 5,800 miles.
Lane rental charges would apply to works on about seven per cent of the county’s overall road network, or almost 500 miles, which have been prioritised to minimise disruption.
Image one: The Department for Transport has approved an application from North Yorkshire Council for a lane rental scheme, which is designed to reduce disruption caused by roadworks.
