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Call for council to have powers to charge utility firms for disruption
Edinburgh Evening News
|October 24, 2025
An Edinburgh MP is calling for the city council to be given new powers to tackle the problem of roads being repeatedly dug up and roadworks taking too long.
A lane rental scheme for utility companies has proved successful in London and Kent, helping to cut congestion and improve traffic flow
Dr Scott Arthur, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, wants the Scottish Government to grant Edinburgh council powers to introduce a lane rental scheme, which would see utility companies charged up to £2500 a day for digging up the busiest roads at peak times.
The idea of a daily charge for occupying part of the road is to encourage the companies to finish the work more quickly and plan it better.
Dr Arthur says the system has already proved successful in London and Kent, helping to cut congestion and improve traffic flow.
This story is from the October 24, 2025 edition of Edinburgh Evening News.
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