Scottish councils ‘urgently’ need to share services to improve roads

Councils should ‘collaborate more’ in order to improve Scotland’s road network, auditors say.

A report from Audit Scotland today noted the proportion of Scottish roads classed as being in acceptable condition has remained constant at around 63% over the four years 2011/12 to 2014/15.

It also said councils, which are responsible for most of Scotland’s roads, spent 14% less on maintenance over the same period, and Transport Scotland spent £24m less on structural maintenance in 2014/15 than was considered necessary to maintain road condition at current levels.

Acknowledging local authorities are facing increasing financial pressures, Audit Scotland warned ‘urgent action’ should be taken to improve the Scottish road network.

The auditors recommended councils share roads maintenance services on a regional basis, a practice they said local authorities had been slow at developing.

Accounts commission chair Douglas Sinclair said: