Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns has delivered a damning indictment of the way the Welsh Assembly Government has been running its road programme.
Mrs Burns was giving the verdict of a report drawn up by a cross-party committee which she chairs.
“It was plainly obvious that the roads programme is being managed in an old-fashioned way, whereby cost overruns and delays are accepted as part of the process,” she said.
“That is an approach to construction that has long been left behind by modern business practices and management methods.”
Mrs Burns highlighted the fear of the Finance Committee that the Welsh Assembly Government is concentrating on improving North-South road links at the expense of East-West routes – such as dualling the A40.
“East-west links are critical to regenerating Wales and our economy, and economic and community planning and development was being done locally on that basis,” she told the Senedd.
She praised Ireland’s de-politicised road planning system where an independent authority with business skills and industry-specific knowledge prepares reliable cost estimates and delivers projects under a five-year rolling investment programme.
In Wales on the other hand, there was evidence of a lack of consultation with local authorities and problems caused by frequent policy changes.
“If the trunk road forward programme is intended to support and serve people and activities, surely the Government needs to know the plans and priorities of the people and organisations that will use the road network?” she asked.
“Our evidence showed without fail that the revisions and constant realignments are causing delays, confusion, lost opportunities and funding problems.”
