Van drivers up and down the country will not need commercialvehicle.com to tell them that traffic congestion on the roads is getting worse.
However, a survey by the Freight Transport Association says that the situation is now the worst it has been for more than 10 years.
They say the rate of deterioration in our road network is at 55% – the lowest it’s been since 2002.
The organisation asked more than 100 logistics operators how they saw the increase in trade activity on our roads and to highlight the rate of reliability of the country’s motorway network.
Road congestion on UK’s roads could be resolved
The FTA’s director of policy, Karen Dee, said: “Our survey is a clear indication that congestion has increased again and drivers are becoming stuck on a regular basis in traffic.
“The reliability of the road network is crucial for freight operators and they need a roads infrastructure they can rely on to ensure goods are moved efficiently and at a reasonable cost.”
She added that as the UK’s economy continues to grow, the roads network will see growing demand which means that there’s more pressure on deliveries and the situation will, inevitably, get worse.
The FTA is supporting an investment strategy for the roads which could see the government spending £15 billion over the next five years.
Driving jobs are going unfilled
The roads investment will lead to 1,300 new miles of trunk roads and motorway lanes to help reduce traffic congestion and resolve some of the country’s most notorious road network problems.
The survey also found that most operators in the sector are predicting more road freight activity in 2015 and there is a growing concern over driver shortages.
Most operators are struggling to fill their HGV driver positions and many firms are reporting delays in recruitment.
The survey also reveals that most firms are witnessing weak economic growth in the Eurozone which is leading to a loss of international activity.