An article in the Scotsman newspaper today highlights the problems of Scotland’s road network. It’s crumbling and getting worse. It will require millions of pounds being spent over many years to bring the existing road networks up to scratch.
The Scottish Parliament recently passed its Budget and the Administration had previously announced long-term spending and investment plans. These included, as a priority, building new roads! But, if we can’t maintain our current road network where is the sense in building more?
The road network is paid for via our taxes (the price you pay at the pump, the amount of vehicle excise duty you pay, income tax), in other words general taxation. Money is then allocated by Parliament to private companies for the major, main routes and to local authorities for the rest. If local authorities were to increase the amount they spend on road repairs, there will be lesss money to spend on local services – libraries, schools, rubbish collection etc. So for the Director of the CBI in Scotland to say that local authorities should increase their spend in this area hasn’t a clue how things work.
Money for road repair and maintenance comes from central government, the priority should be to repair and maintain the present network and not build any new roads until this is brought up to scratch.
New evidence that Scottish Parliament wrong on roads
An article in the Scotsman newspaper today highlights the problems of Scotland’s road network. It’s crumbling and getting worse. It will require millions of pounds being spent over many years to bring the existing road networks up to scratch.
The Scottish Parliament recently passed its Budget and the Administration had previously announced long-term spending and investment plans. These included, as a priority, building new roads! But, if we can’t maintain our current road network where is the sense in building more?
The road network is paid for via our taxes (the price you pay at the pump, the amount of vehicle excise duty you pay, income tax), in other words general taxation. Money is then allocated by Parliament to private companies for the major, main routes and to local authorities for the rest. If local authorities were to increase the amount they spend on road repairs, there will be lesss money to spend on local services – libraries, schools, rubbish collection etc. So for the Director of the CBI in Scotland to say that local authorities should increase their spend in this area hasn’t a clue how things work.
Money for road repair and maintenance comes from central government, the priority should be to repair and maintain the present network and not build any new roads until this is brought up to scratch.