29 March 2004

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Spiralling compensation claims from road users are eating up nearly all the extra money local authorities have received for road maintenance in the last year, according to this year's Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) Survey. The ALARM Survey is conducted by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, a joint initiative between QPA and the Refined Bitumen Association.

The ninth ALARM Survey has found that despite a 25 per cent increase in highways maintenance funding to an average of £5.7m per authority in England, there is still a shortfall of £5.6m in each local authority between what engineers receive and what they claim they need to maintain roads adequately. This picture is reflected in Wales, where despite a 41 per cent increase in highways maintenance funding to an average of £1.3m per authority , there is still a shortfall of £8.1m in each local authority. In England, 80 per cent of local authority engineers believe there is a threat to road users' safety due to road maintenance under funding, a figure of 100 per cent in Wales.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from www.alarm-survey.co.uk. The Survey is based on information supplied by 64 per cent of local authorities in England and 41 per cent of local authorities in Wales and relates to 2003/04 budgets. Local authorities are responsible for 95 per cent of Britain's roads.

ENDS

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