www.nce.co.uk1 22.03.12 NEWCIVil ENGINEER3
CONTENTS 22.03.12
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New Civil Engineer
lst Floor,GreaterLondonHouse HampsteadRoad,LondonNWl 7EJ EDITORIALENQUIRIES Email: prefixplus @emap.com EDITOR1Antony Oliver (020)77284541 antony.oliver OEPUTYEDiTOR1MarkHansford (020)77284543 mark.hansford
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05
COVER STORY Roadsforsale
David Cameron announces plan for motorways and trunk roads
14
INTERVIEW DanLabbad
LendLease boss seeks share ofUK infrastructure market
16
PlANT
Newlevel of control Caterpillar unveils latest range of machines
Aisointhis issue
06 News
High Speed 2 contract awards due
07 News
Confusion about Libya trade sanctions
10 Analysis
Rail costs are being squeezed again
12 letters
Drought, NCE for students, airport hub
22 Spotlight
Movement monitoring equipment
25 BCE
Council nominations open, Forth Bridges Centre
Comment
AntonyOliver
TOCELEBRATENCE'S40THANNIVERSARY OFINFORMING,INSPIRINGAND CHALLENGINGCIVILENGINEERS,WE ARELOOKINGATTHEKEYEVENTSTHAT
HAVESHAPEDTHELAST40 YEARS.
SEEWWW.NCE.CO.UK
"The water industry works because of the very dired link between usage and payment"
Canthe primeministergrabthe roadsprivatisation netllel
It was an unprecedented moment as prime minister David Cameron spoke passionately for half an hour this week about infrastruc- ture and ils value in driving growth the nation's economic recovery.
ln fact, Cameron's vision for a "horizon shift" in thinking, in so manyways, repre- sented an endorsement from the highest level of aIl of what the profession stands for.
"If our infrastructure is second-rate, then our country will be too," he told infrastruc- ture bosses at the 1CEheadquarters.
He went on to speak about his commit- ment to better trains, and new raillines such as Crossrail and High Speed 2, and the need to build dependable energy supplies with nuclear power stations and offshore wind.
And he talked about faster broadband, a fundamental review of aviation to update our airports and, of course, reform of the plan- ning system to "unlock sustainable growth, raIller than hold it back".
However, it was his plan to shake up the
management of the UK's road network that grabbed the headlines. It was, after aIl, the most controversial aspect ofhis vision.
The road network remains pretty much the last bastion of major publicly funded assets. Except for the M6 Toll road north of Birmingham, a few bridges and the odd toll gare, UK roads are generally free to use.
Yet as every car driver knows, we still paya huge amount for the privilege of owning and driving a car through road and fuel taxation.
And sadly for drivers, little of Ibis cash finds its way ta the highways budget.
1nstead, most goes towards the nation's othervital departments, such health, educa- tion and social services.
Hence, as Cameron puts it, "we need to look urgently at the options for getting large- scale private investment into the national roads network".
He is absolutely right ta highlight the water industry as an example of using a regu- lated business model to drive private sector
investment. An estimated f80bn has been levered in over the last 20 yeaTs.
However, the water industry works because of the veIl direct link between usage and payment. Regulated and controIled certainly, but directly linked - plus we aH nowpay more.
Thus, to make a similarly regulated roads model work, the government must rethink car taxation. That will mean hypotheca- tion and will mean strengthening the link between road use and consumer payment via toHing- not least as cars become more fuel efficient or perhaps even electric powered.
And judging from the media reaction so faT,no ne of these options will.be easily sold to a sceptical car driving public
Cameron correctly identifies the three fail- ings holding back infrastructure investment as: failure of vision, of financing and of nerve.
But l suggest that when it comes to roads, he really only has the latter to worry about.
il Antony Oliveris NCE' s editor
