MILLIONS of motorists endure daily congestion because the Highways Agency has been too slow to introduce simple measures that would keep traffic flowing smoothly, according to the Government’s spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office (NAO) says that the agency has been “too cautious” and appears to have ignored evidence from overseas, where these measures have been reducing congestion on motorways for up to 30 years.

In its report, published today, the NAO says that the agency has missed opportunities for improving the existing network because it has been too preoccupied with building new roads.

The agency spent only 12 per cent of its £1.7 billion annual budget on measures that would make better use of the network. However, more than twice as much is spent each year on new roads.

It is estimated that congestion on major roads costs the economy £3 billion a year in lost working time. Average traffic speeds have fallen by 4mph since 1995 and a fifth of the network suffers heavy congestion on at least half the days of the year.

The agency has 80 major construction projects on its schedule, including a £3.5 billion programme to widen sections of the M25 and M1. However, the NAO says that congestion could have been tackled more quickly and cheaply by using imaginative schemes for rationing traffic.

These include dedicating lanes for vehicles carrying more than one passenger; utilising the hard shoulder for normal traffic; introducing electronic signs that give advice on how to avoid problems ahead; and banning lorries from overtaking on busy sections of motorway.

Archie Robertson, the agency’s chief executive, said: “We accept the need to implement projects more quickly to bring benefits to drivers, better manage our trials, target technology effectively and be better prepared for major events.”

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