Budget cuts hit Scotland’s roads

Budget cuts are having a detrimental impact on Scotland’s roads, with staff overworked and suffering low morale, according to a report.

Research by Unison Scotland found that, across the country, council road budgets have been reduced by 21 per cent since 2011-12, with cuts “severely impacting on local authorities’ ability to deliver a highquality service”.

The union carried out a survey in September with about 250 workers, engineers, technicians, team leaders and managers responsible for road maintenance, traffic management and street lighting.

More than three-quarters (76 per cent) said they had experienced budget cuts in their workplace, with 72 per cent saying their workload was now heavier and more than half skipping breaks or working late to get work done.

A majority (88 per cent) stated morale in their team was low or very low, with 78 per cent saying they did not expect it to get any better in the next few years. The research also identified 296 vacancies in road teams, with the number likely to be higher as some councils did not respond to a freedom of information request for the information.

“The lack of a pay rise is impacting on both the currentworkforceandauthorities’ ability to recruit and retain staff,” the report concluded.