National Highways maintains just 2 per cent of England’s roads, while our local authority highway departments maintain more than 90 per cent.
So why is it that National Highways retains 100 per cent of road tax that is collected by government?
Motorists dread the V11 reminder letter from the DVLA landing on their doorsteps every six months or each year.
After paying DVLA’s demand, motorists rightfully question what they get in return. Is it any wonder that in opinion polling the condition of our roads is becoming an ever-increasing concern among voters?
“Not a single penny of road tax goes to maintenance of local roads”
What most motorists probably don’t realise is that not a single penny of that road tax goes to their local authority for the maintenance of roads.
The LGA rightfully identified in its Spending Review submission the £16.3 billion backlog in road maintenance currently facing the sector, and that 35 per cent of its budgets could be saved if all potholes could be fixed as part of a planned programme.
Giving councils certainty on highways funding is, in part, the answer.
According to an answer in a recent Parliamentary Written Question, the Treasury received £7.8 billion in road tax in 2023/24.
If local authorities were able to retain just a small proportion of that each year, our highway departments could do so much more on road resurfacing, fixing our streets and sorting out potholes.