Do we need stricter rules for the utility firms digging up our roads?

UTILITY companies should be forced to guarantee repairs to roads for five years after digging them up, MPs have said.

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A new watchdog should also be appointed to manage the disruption caused by firms carrying out work on pipes and cables in England.

Transport Committee chairwoman Ruth Cadbury said a pattern of repeated works can feel like a “recurring nightmare” for road users.

Under current rules, utility firms are responsible for the quality of the road surfaces they have reinstated for two years after works have completed, or three years in the case of deeper excavations.

The committee called for that period to be extended to five years so council tax payers do not have to pick up the bill for repairing potholes caused by shoddy remediation work.

Other recommendations from the committee included: