City cheers plan to punish slower road repair firms
THE City of London Corporation yesterday welcomed government plans for a scheme to charge contractors doing road repairs in the City, providing a financial incentive for works to be completed quickly.
The lane rental plans, which Transport for London will consult on over the next 12 weeks, would charge firms for digging up roads during peak times, with companies able to avoid charges by carrying out works during quieter periods or at night.
The maximum fine that councils can impose is likely to be £2,500 a day, with the money raised being used by local authorities to fund measures to reduce future disruption.
According to a City of London spokesman, there are about 80 roadwork sites in the Square Mile at any one time in addition to bigger projects such as Crossrail station and tunnel works and the redevelopment of Cheapside.