Watchdog’s report shows billions of pounds has been wasted on white elephant roads – says MEP
Tuesday, September 10 2013
UKIP Transport Spokesman Mike Nattrass says it is high time for Britain to get into the fast lane and leave the European Union following revelations that billions of pounds has been blown on unnecessary motorways projects.
West Midlands MEP Mike Nattrass, who is a member of the EU’s Transport & Tourism Committee, says a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), has revealed a story of chronic waste which has seen £2.5 billion being wasted on road construction schemes in Europe which, the Luxembourg-based financial watchdog says, could have been spent on different projects with higher economic returns.
The ECA states that “most of the audited projects were affected by inaccurate traffic forecasts. The result was that the type of road chosen was often not best suited to the traffic it carried.”
Worrying, 14 out of 19 projects recorded less traffic-use than expected and “motorways were preferred where express roads could have solved the traffic problems.”
Commenting on the ECA’s findings this week, UKIP Transport Spokesman Mike Nattrass, said: “The ECA’s report is damning. Billions of pounds has been wasted on motorways that were not needed.
“Over optimistic traffic forecasts has resulted in more expensive road projects. There was a real failure to take cost effectiveness into account. Essentially investment has been injected in white elephant schemes.
“It is time to get Britain on the road out of the EU which is keeping us in the slow lane,” he added.