North Yorkshire Council is considering the introduction of a pioneering lane rental scheme to charge utility companies and other organisations for carrying out roadworks on key roads during peak times. This initiative, a first for the North of England, aims to significantly reduce traffic disruption.
The proposed scheme mirrors successful operations already in place in London and Kent. Under the scheme, companies would face daily fees of up to £2,500 for conducting maintenance work during the busiest periods of the day. This financial incentive is designed to shorten the duration of roadworks and encourage collaborative efforts among companies to minimise public inconvenience.
A pilot of the scheme in the South of England demonstrated notable success, with a marked reduction in congestion as companies opted to schedule their works outside of peak hours to avoid the hefty charges.
Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, emphasised the council’s commitment to addressing the frustrations caused by roadworks. “Roadworks are a major source of frustration, that’s why we’re adopting the toughest possible approach in North Yorkshire,” he stated. “Charging utility companies for the time they occupy the highway means we can incentivise them to complete works more efficiently and outside of peak hours. By moving this scheme forwards, we’re doing everything within our legal power to ensure disruption for residents, visitors, and businesses is minimised.”
The next step involves consulting key stakeholders before submitting an application to the Department for Transport for approval by the Secretary of State. Should the application be successful, the scheme could be operational before the summer of next year.
North Yorkshire, the largest county in England, boasts an extensive road network stretching nearly 5,800 miles. The fees collected from the lane rental scheme would cover the costs of its administration, with any surplus reinvested into measures to further reduce highway disruptions.
