03 Apr 2018
A survey carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has suggested that UK infrastructure is ‘less reliable’ for businesses when compared to five years ago.
The BCC polled over 1,100 UK firms, and found that 39% of businesses find the UK’s rail network ‘unreliable’.
A further 36% of firms believe that the rail network is ‘less reliable’ than five years ago. Just 17% think that it is more reliable.
Meanwhile, 68% of businesses believe that the UK’s road network is less reliable than it was five years ago, with 41% stating that roads ‘don’t meet their needs’.
Travel delays have led to increased costs for 52% of businesses, whilst 33% of firms have been restricted in their access to customers as a result of such delays.
Commenting on the matter, Jane Gratton, Head of Business Environment at the BCC, said: ‘Businesses rely on the road and rail networks to connect with customers, suppliers and staff. It’s concerning that many businesses believe reliability has worsened in recent years, particularly on the road network.
‘For the UK to succeed post-Brexit, we need to fix the fundamentals here at home. Investing in physical and digital infrastructure is vital to the prosperity and competitiveness of the UK in the future.’