In a new report, the London Assembly Transport Committee has cautioned that plans to charge for lane rental to regulate roadworks on the capital’s streets may have consequences for Londoners – including higher utility bills - that must be addressed before any schemes are introduced.
In its response to both the Government’s and Transport for London’s (TfL) lane rental consultation, the London Assembly Transport Committee calls for a more detailed assessment of the benefits and costs of lane rental to ensure it is suitable for tackling road congestion long-term.
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, said:
“Roadworks that drag on unnecessarily are a big factor in traffic congestion and a real source of frustration to all road users. A lane rental scheme that makes utility companies pay by the day could provide the motivation they need to carry out works more efficiently, but this needs to be balanced against other potential impacts on Londoners.
“Both the Government and Transport for London need to make sure that it is not Londoners who come off worse in the trade-off between reducing traffic disruption and potentially increasing utility bills and noise.”
One key concern is whether utility companies will simply pass on the costs of lane rental to their customers through higher bills. The Committee calls on the Government to make sure regulators have sufficient powers to control this and, if bills do go up, the benefits of the scheme justify the increase.
The response also highlights the impact lane rental schemes could have on local residents. If utility companies are exempted from the charge at nights and weekends, half a million Londoners could be affected by noise late at night and on nuisance. Pedestrians may also be affected if companies carrying out roadworks park vehicles and store materials on pavements.
Overall, the Committee urges TfL to identify and publish measures for assessing these impacts before starting any lane rental scheme, and to issue an evaluation report on how the scheme performs.