British Road Network Could be Privatised

David Cameron has outlined a proposal for putting private companies in charge of the country’s roads in a bid to attract investment and heal public finances.

Cameron told the Institution of Civil Engineers that the government cannot afford to improve the road system without money from the private sector and that gridlock on some routes is hampering economic recovery.

“We need to look urgently at the options for getting large-scale private investment into the national roads network – from sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and other investors.”

However, critics said expanding Britain’s road network with private cash would not solve congestion problems and could drive up costs for motorists.

“Building and widening roads to tackle congestion is a dead-end policy that will simply lead to more traffic, more pollution and even more gridlocked roads,” said Andrew Pendleton, Friends of the Earth’s head of campaigns.

“The prime minister should be promoting alternatives to driving such as affordable buses and trains – and reduce our transport system’s reliance on expensive overseas oil.”

Will privatisation cut traffic? Let us know your thoughts.

MJP Motoring Solicitors