DORSET County Council has said that it will work closely with utility companies to benefit the travelling public if new plans being called for to ease traffic chaos are introduced.

The Local Government Association, which represents more than 370 councils, is calling for government to stop areas of the country becoming gridlocked.

The LGA wants it to be easier for councils to be able to introduce lane rental schemes if needed, without the requirement to get approval from the Secretary of State for Transport.

The proposed scheme would mean that utility companies are charged a daily rate for work carried out on key congested roads during busy periods, such as rush hour, this would incentivise them to finish work faster.

Responding to the plans, DCC said that it already challenges utility companies and that it will work with them.

Andrew Martin, DCC's head of highways, said: “We have a good working relationship with the utility companies and work closely with them on the timing of their schemes.

“We already have a say in when schemes are carried out and have, in the past, challenged them on the duration they take. Of course ‘emergency works’ do happen which we have limited control over, and this can lead to unplanned disruptions, and fall outside of the scope of the new proposals.

“The new legislation applies to A Class roads only so we will be working closely with our utility company colleagues to ensure we can apply any amendments to current practice that will benefit the travelling public on our network.”

Revenue raised from it would be used by councils to fund measures which help reduce road works disruption.

Currently, Transport for London (TfL) and Kent County Council have been the only ones granted approval to run lane rental schemes.

The LGA, said that in the two years since the scheme was introduced in London, it has cut serious and severe disruption from roadworks by almost half.

The LGA's transport spokesman, Peter Box, said that councils want to do everything they can to help motorists and small businesses and called for robust and decisive action.

Earlier this year, Dorset County Council backed plans from the Department for Transport that could see councils and utility companies fined up to £5,000 if it leaves roadworks unmanned at weekends.

The council declared these proposals sensible and said it was good to see the law catching up with modern living.