Delivery vans leave roads in disrepair

Thursday, March 29, 2018 - 15:49 by Simon Crisp

The popularity of safe shopping online is causing problems on roads across the UK, not just because of increased congestion being generated by delivery vans but also the wear and tear they are creating on the tarmac.

This is according to a new study from the Local Government Association, which revealed that the 20 per cent increase in LCV volumes since 2012 was putting councils in a tricky position.

The report’s authors argue that the government needs to provide more funding to help maintain roads which are being damaged over time by delivery vans. And as safe shopping online shows no signs of slowing down its rise to prominence, the problem is only going to get worse if no action is taken.

LGA representative, Martin Tett, said that the £9.3 billion road repair costs being faced at the moment were steep enough in their own right. As more vans are rolled out to help retailers cope with growing demand for delivery services, he argued that the country will face a real crisis.

Tett claims that it is a lack of consistency in the funding which is placing strain on councils and compromising their ability to deal with damaged road surfaces.

He said that by investing more in fixing roads, it would not only make life easier for consumers who order online, but also improve life for motorists of all types, including commercial driver and commuters alike.

 Shoppers could face delayed deliveries, increased costs and other complications if this state of affairs persists. And analysts are worried that because next day and same day delivery services are more commonly chosen, the inadequacies will be obvious to a wider audience.

Retailers may have to take this into account when planning their e-commerce offerings. So rather than facing price rises at the checkout, consumers should support local councils in their efforts to secure better funding for road repairs.