Petitions/Introduce an offence to the Highways Act for failure to maintain public roads
StatusOngoing
Opened22 May 2026
Closes
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Drivers and owners of vehicles used on the public highway can commit an offence if their vehicle is not maintained in a roadworthy condition. Introduce a similar legal offence to the Highways Act to prosecute responsible Authorities for failure to maintain the roads they are responsible for.

We believe that despite adequate tax revenue the public roads infrastructure has been poorly maintained and often poses a risk of damage to vehicles and to the safety of road users. The Highways Act 1980 places a duty of care on Authorities but without any sanction for failure to do so. We are concerned that Authorities have developed defensive procedures to deter and limit private claims whilst continuing to avoid their obligations under the Act. To correct this, we want sanctions for 'failure to maintain' to be set within the Act.

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Constituency engagement ranking

Mr Mark Francois
1Mr Mark Francois MP
Rayleigh and Wickford
16
Sir Roger Gale
2Sir Roger Gale MP
Herne Bay and Sandwich
10
Rebecca Paul
3Rebecca Paul MP
Reigate
8
Mr Bayo Alaba
4Mr Bayo Alaba MP
Southend East and Rochford
8
Sojan Joseph
5Sojan Joseph MP
Ashford
7
Wendy Chamberlain
6Wendy Chamberlain MP
North East Fife
7
Sir James Cleverly
7Sir James Cleverly MP
Braintree
6
Rebecca Harris
8Rebecca Harris MP
Castle Point
6
Sir John Whittingdale
9Sir John Whittingdale MP
Maldon
6
Lauren Edwards
10Lauren Edwards MP
Rochester and Strood
6