Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Local authorities are responsible for setting design standards for their roads and for considering the needs of different road users, including vulnerable road users, when making changes to their roads. To support local authorities, my Department has published good practice in various documents including the Manual for Streets, Local Transport Notes and Traffic Advisory Leaflets, and has endorsed the Institute of Highway Engineers’ guidelines on designing for motorcycling. It also recognises vulnerable road users in the 2025 Highway Code. In addition to these publications, just last month, my Department also launched its review of another publication, the Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure Code of Practice, which provides highways management advice and best practice. That review will consider a range of road design and maintenance needs, including for powered two wheelers. We aim to have the entire Code of Practice updated by November 2026 and to release updated sections before then as they become available.