Utility firms to be charged for pavement works in London

Works that dig up pavements and disrupt pedestrians and cyclists in the capital will now be charged in the same way as roadworks that block traffic, under plans announced by Transport for London.

The lane rental scheme will be extended to cover pavements from May as part of London’s push to encourage more walking and cycling journeys.

Utility companies are currently charged a daily fee of up to £2,500 for works in the busiest roads, to deter congestion and encourage them to work as swiftly as possible.

Firms will be charged £350 a day for works that affect the busiest areas of pavement.

TfL said the changes would raise standards of safety and accessibility in the capital, and reduce in particular the impact on people with accessibility needs who can be badly affected by pavements being dug up.

Incentives to minimise works are also seen as vital for buses. Associated congestion caused a slump in bus speed and reliability over parts of the last decade, before returning to record levels during lockdown.

The lane rental scheme, first operated in London and Kent since 2012-13, will also be expanded to cover more of the major roads, about 69% of TfL’s routes…

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From The Guardian - 24/02/2021