ICE cautious over government plans to enhance transport network

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has given a cautious welcome today (Wednesday) to the government's decision to enhance the country's transport network.

Colin Clinton, chairman of the ICE Transport Board, said: "Measures to sustainably improve the condition of the country's road network are a major step forward; certainly better than recent and proposed measures of opening the hard shoulder to ease congestion.

"However, the government must ensure that bureaucracy at the planning stage is not allowed to delay the roll-out of further tolls and congestion charging.

"These are positive ways to spur a fundamental shift towards reducing the need and desire to travel by car, with the vital caveat that public transport alternatives are made available and traffic diverted onto surrounding roads is properly managed," he said.

Last week, ICE published its State of the Nation Report which graded all aspects of the UK's infrastructure. The report exposed a decline in almost every area, except water, wastewater and flooding, and gave a dismal overall grading of D+, down from C- in 2002.