A UK MP wants utility companies to pay more if their roadworks run over schedule, causing big delays for drivers stuck in endless traffic. Mark Francois, the Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, believes councils should be able to charge daily lane rental fees to utility firms like water and telecom companies, saying they often don’t prioritise finishing quickly.
Speaking in Parliament, Francois introduced a bill to let councils block roadwork projects that could cause major traffic disruptions. He urged MPs to help “can the cones” and keep roads moving. His area, Essex, is known as one of the most heavily dug-up places in the UK, with over 77,000 roadwork incidents in a year.
Francois said residents are frustrated by recurring closures, traffic lights, and detours—often with no visible work happening. He’s proposing a three-part Roadworks Bill to help councils prevent overruns. The bill would allow local authorities to reject roadworks if they think they’ll create "unacceptable disruption" and require tighter deadlines to avoid extended gridlocks.
The bill also includes a new requirement for councils to manage overlapping roadworks, which can leave entire areas jammed. Francois argues that fines for overruns haven’t kept up with inflation since 2012 and don’t deter major companies. His bill proposes raising penalties to 10% of a company's yearly revenue for repeat offenders.
Additionally, Francois wants 'lane rental' fees to apply more widely, incentivising companies to work quickly. Currently, these fees are limited to a small number of roads. He calls this issue bipartisan and hopes all MPs can agree to minimise traffic disruptions.
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