In the first of a series of investigations into the state of Britain’s transport infrastructure, The Times newspaper is reporting that the number of utility companies fined for over-running roadworks has doubled in five years “amid warnings that contractors are causing traffic chaos and leaving streets in a crumbling state.”

In a leading article published today, The Times is says “bolder thinking” will be needed to deliver an overall strategy to improve Britain’s crumbling transport infrastructure, commenting:

“What is certain is that the present funding model for roads needs an upgrade as urgently as the roads do themselves.”

The report describes utility companies and councils as causing chaos with over-run repairs, with fines by councils for over-running roadworks doubling in five years according to figures obtained by the newspaper under freedom of information laws .

During the past five years, Thames Water received the heaviest fines at £4.54 million while Severn Trent was separately fined £2.5 million. Utility firms can be fined a maximum of £5,000 for each of the first three days and £10,000 a day thereafter for roadworks that over-run.

However the utilities have defended their records saying that councils had a far worse record - over the three months from April to June last year, councils accounted for 68 per cent of total work carried out on roads in England and Wales but 94 per cent of over-run days.

Responding to The Times investigation into utilities and street works, Clive Bairsto CBE, Chief Executive of Street Works UK:

“Street Works UK supports in principle all efforts to encourage works to take place in the footway rather than the carriageway where that is technically possible. Utility companies and their contractor partners are strongly committed to minimising disruption for all road users, and constantly look for ways to minimise occupation of the road while delivering vital infrastructure.

“Many utility assets are already placed under the footway, and we will be working very closely with the Department for Transport and highways authorities to understand how these proposals can be implemented. However there are a number of practical considerations that need to be thought through further. It may not be appropriate to place some utility assets – particularly larger pipes – under the footway in already highly congested spaces. While utilities companies are always committed to undertaking works and placing assets in the least disruptive way, it is important that the engineering and network consequences are fully considered.

"Information from Highways Authority systems shows that utilities companies have much lower levels of occupation of the road, significantly less overrun days, and less failures relating to the reinstatement of the road than Highways Authorities.”

Street Works UK is the UK’s only trade association representing utilities and their contractor partners on street works issues.

In February this year the Department for Transport announced that lane rental schemes, where utility companies are charged up to £2,500 a day for digging up the busiest roads at peak times, could now be adopted by councils nationwide after successful trials in the south-east.