In a question in the House of Commons to the Secretary of State for Transport, it was confirmed to Bury North MP, James Daly, that a lane rental scheme could be coming to Greater Manchester soon.
But what is a lane rental scheme? A lane rental scheme allows a local highway authority to charge companies for the time that road works occupy the highway. Charges apply to works by both utility companies and local highway authorities on the local road network.
This is designed to incentivise companies to undertake roadworks outside of peak times and get them completed quickly. It also makes cooperation between companies more likely, reducing one of the more frustrating aspects of roadworks: when the road is dug up only for a different company to come and dig it up again two weeks later.
James Daly commented:
“These schemes have been shown to reduce the impact of roadworks on people, providing a clear financial incentive for companies and council contractors to reduce disruption. This is something that really frustrates people across Bury so if there is a proven method of reducing the impact I think it is important we implement it.”
In response to Mr Daly’s question on the issue in the House of Commons, Mark Harper the Secretary of State for Transport replied:
“I am very pleased to report that following his very effective representations and those of others, the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network Committee recently endorsed a decision to develop a proposal to introduce lane rental in Greater Manchester and ongoing discussions are now taking place with local authorities.”
