The UK needs to move beyond short-term pothole repairs and adopt a long-term, place-based approach to transport investment, speakers told a CIHT fringe event at the 2026 Labour Party Conference.
The panel, titled Beyond Potholes: Investing in Transport, Investing in Britain, examined how investment could support economic growth, improve connectivity and unlock opportunity.
Certainty for authorities and suppliers
Ruth Cadbury MP, chair of the Transport Committee, opened the session by stressing the importance of maintaining the existing road network. She said roads also need to work effectively for communities, businesses, pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.
Chaired by CIHT chief executive Sue Percy CBE, the panel included Jason Prince of the Urban Transport Group, Marie-Claude Hemming of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, Jo Field OBE of JFG Communications, and Max Sugarman of Intelligent Transport Systems UK.
A central theme was the need to replace stop-start funding with long-term investment programmes. According to the panel, greater certainty would help local authorities and the supply chain plan more effectively, invest in skills and improve project delivery.
Speakers also called for a stronger evidence base to demonstrate the wider benefits of transport investment, including its contribution to productivity and access to education, healthcare and employment.
Devolution and technology
The panel broadly supported greater local decision-making through devolution, while emphasising the need for national coordination and better collaboration across administrative boundaries.
Technology was identified as another opportunity to improve the transport network. Areas discussed included connected vehicles, digital speed limits, intelligent speed assistance and digital twins. However, speakers warned that funding models must cover the ongoing operational costs of these technologies as well as their initial capital cost.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of long-term asset management, with greater attention needed on maintaining and renewing existing infrastructure alongside delivering new projects.
The session concluded with a call for policymakers and the transport sector to focus on what investment delivers for people and places, rather than assessing individual roads or projects in isolation.