Asphalt Industry Alliance gives evidence to Scottish Parliament Transport Committee

Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) Chair, David Giles, was invited to give evidence to the Transport Committee in Scottish Parliament this week.

The committee’s inquiry forms part of Scottish Parliament’s pre-budget scrutiny, and this year the Transport Committee is focusing on road and rail development, including its efforts to improve local roads and tackle potholes.

David was joined by a panel of industry representatives from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Scotland, The Railway Engineering Institution and The Rail Industry Association.

In his evidence to the Committee, David used data from the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey report, gathered for England and Wales, to demonstrate the long-term impact of underfunded roads and how reactive repairs can cost more over time than planned, proactive maintenance.

The latest findings from ALARM 2026 show that local authorities in England and Wales now face a record £18.62 billion backlog of carriageway repairs that would take 12 years to clear. And, in 2026, 1.9 million potholes were filled – the equivalent of 5,200 potholes every day of the year.

“The survey draws on responses from local authorities in England, including London, and Wales. While it does not provide data specific to Scotland’s local roads, we believe its findings offer key insights for the Committee,” said David.

“Local authorities across the whole of the UK are managing the same pressures from more extreme weather events, increasing traffic volumes and long-term underfunding on an ageing network. And, what is clear from 30 years of ALARM data, is that investment needs to be sustained over the long-term, otherwise, any improvement in conditions gained will soon be lost.”

The AIA’s experience in England and Wales points to three clear priorities to tackle the condition of local roads:

• Longer term funding horizon for those responsible for maintaining local roads
• Front loading investment to halt further decline and reduce future costs
• Better use of data and transparency to track performance

Catch up on the full session on Scottish Parliament TV.