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18/12/2014 14:06
Roads funding: have businesses been overlooked?
After the recent announcement that the government plans to inject £15bn into Britain’s roads, experts at Office Depot say that any investment in our road and rail infrastructure is essential for British businesses and that the project must be followed through and delivered. 

The money will be spent on over 100 road improvement projects and 1,300 miles of new lanes added to existing infrastructures, which aims to tackle bottlenecked roads and pinch points up and down the country. The plans are an essential part of a strategic vision set by the government to ‘revolutionise’ Britain’s roads. 

Companies may be wary that this isn’t the first time the government has pledged to invest in the UK’s infrastructure. However, these new plans focus on building new roads as well as improving existing problematic ones, which would be very positive for the transport and logistics industry. 

Simon Parker, Head of Logistics at Office Depot, said: “Improved road infrastructure means improved deliveries which will improve the overall customer experience. A number of companies have already expressed their delight that the current, inadequate situation will be addressed. This will have a huge impact when moving goods in and out of busy towns and cities. 

“In terms of the overall supply chain, just getting stock from A to B can be a real problem for businesses with bumper to bumper traffic on the roads and any investment in England’s transport infrastructure can only be a positive one. 

“The continued cost of fleet repairs due to road conditions is having to be passed on, this will not help UK businesses in an increasingly global supply chain.”

According to the AA, the UK’s roads carry over more than 90 % of freight and 86 % of passenger journeys. It is likely that businesses won’t benefit from the changes in the short-term, placing more importance on having contingency plans as part of the supply chain strategy.  

Simon Parker added: “Businesses must ensure they can turn to supply partners for one-off orders and that those suppliers are proactive in their approach. Whenever a delivery is delayed or cannot be made due to unforeseen circumstances such as road congestion, companies should be able to turn to back-up suppliers and couriers for items and deliveries outside of their normal offering.”