Workers to rent roads they are working on in congestion-cutting bid (From News Shopper)

Workers to rent roads they are working on in congestion-cutting bid

2:05pm Thursday 5th July 2012 in Dartford & Swanley news By Jim Palmer

WORKMEN could be charged upto £2,000 a day to close roads in a bid to cut congestion in Kent.

Kent County Council is consulting on the plans for lane rental, whereby firms pay for digging up the busiest roads at peak times.

The council hopes it will reduce the scale and duration of roadworks and will use the scheme on about five per cent of the 5,000-mile network. Money raised would be invested back into reducing congestion.

Cabinet member for highways, councillor Bryan Sweetland said: "This is aimed at making sure firms finish their work on particular roads as quickly as possible, so that disruption to drivers is kept to a minimum. The lane rental scheme will also encourage these firms to work at less disruptive times."

Two years ago, KCC introduced a permit scheme where permission is required to dig up roads, so the council can coordinate when work is carried out - getting firms to work at the same time rather than dig separate holes.

Comment on the Kent Lane Rental Scheme at kent.gov.uk/kentlane2012.