ICAEW wants better roads (From Wiltshire Business Online)

ICAEW wants better roads

7:30am Thursday 6th August 2009

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A new survey from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales suggests that the current state of the country’s transport system has a negative impact on nearly a quarter of a million UK businesses.

Businesses reporting problems complain of congested roads and public transport that is unreliable, insufficient and expensive. Businesses in the South West are amongst those most in favour of road pricing for cars as a way of reducing congestion and raising funds for improvements, with 40% in support of it.

Amongst other measures for raising capital to improve transport, road pricing for lorries is the most popular option for funding improvements, a move that is favoured by about half the firms responding to the survey in all areas of the country. When it comes to resolving issues in the areas of transport policy, expanding the long distance high speed rail network is seen as a priority in the South West and reducing carbon emissions is also given high importance by the region’s businesses.

Improving local bus services is also viewed as a priority for South West businesses, which rely on local buses to bring together smaller suburbs and bigger villages around commercial centres such as Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Taunton and Swindon, according to ICAEW members.

Jon Blake, ICAEW South West Regional director, said: “Discussions are now focussing on making the existing infrastructure more flexible and effective and it seems our members would happily see the Government focus on the road and rail and local transport systems.

"These relate to the necessary journeys undertaken every day in the course of business and therefore have an impact on business success.”

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