Alternative routes to the same goal of saving funds for roads services

The National Roads Maintenance Review in Scotland aims to give new impetus to efforts to deliver efficiencies. Lee Baker finds out about the future shape of roads services from Transport Scotland’s head of asset management Donald Morrison and Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland president Ewan Wallace

Lee Baker

31 August 2012

A77 Symington and Bogend Toll Improvements: Transport Scotland is seeking efficiencies through its new maintenance contracts (photo courtesy of URS)

The National Roads Maintenance Review recommends a radical shake-up of how roads services are delivered in Scotland. There are, however, slightly different interpretations of this from local government and from Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government agency.

The review has 20 recommendations that have been accepted but not yet implemented, including the exploration of shared services “up to and including the shared delivery of entire roads services” currently provided by...