Leeds City Council are proposing the introduction of a Lane Rental Scheme to combat the impact of several major roadworks in the area such as Lawnswood roundabout and Dawsons Corner.
Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport, and sustainable development Jonathan Pryor said, “This scheme encourages those working on the roads to better plan their works to take place during less busy times, to look for ways to collaborate, and complete works more quickly.”
Companies will be charged for completing roadworks during peak times in an attempt to incentivise sticking to schedule. The scheme is being proposed to improve travel for motorists in Leeds, Wakefield, and Kirklees.
The scheme is to be introduced to about 10 per cent of Leeds’ road network, which covers over 2900km in total. The council claims there are many benefits to this including roadwork efficiency, reduced congestion and increased collaboration between promoters and businesses.
Councillor Pryor said that “extra revenue the scheme provides will be reinvested back into road maintenance and highway improvement.”
However, residents are getting impatient about the length of time roadworks in the city are taking and say it is causing ongoing issues with travel and impeding on daily life. One resident called them “a joke” and said, “it makes getting to and from work take double the time.”
Another resident said “there wasn’t really a warning about all the works on the road. I just walked down the street and all the bus stops were gone and the paths were closed. It just seems like there are more works every day”
Lane rental schemes have seen some success in other areas of the country. In 2016 an independent evaluation of the scheme’s rollouts by Kent County Council and Transport for London concluded they “reinforced and encouraged behavioural change.” However, this was in combination with other factors such as cost effectiveness.
It is unclear so far how the construction companies will deal with these charges, but it is possible that they will result in increased prices for customers.
If the council gets approval from the Department of Transport to continue with the Leeds Lane Rental Scheme it could be running by Spring 2026.
