Utilities companies should be encouraged to share holes they dig in the road rather than causing traffic jams with a clutch of roadworks, says a committee of MPs.

The influential Commons Public Accounts Committee has taken up the idea once plugged in a lager advert as "refreshing".

Constant roadworks caused by one utility after another digging up the same piece of road infuriates everyone

David Rendel Lib Dem MP

Gas, electricity, sewerage and communications firms already face fines if they overshoot deadlines but industry regulators could also take action, say the MPs.

Utilities companies argue they already co-ordinate work with each other and local councils but much repair work is unpredictable.

Wasted money

As well as causing traffic jams, local councils argue frequent road works by utilities companies leaves highways weaker and pushes up maintenance bills.

Liberal Democrat committee member David Rendel said extra congestion cost everybody money, as well as adding to air pollution.

"The constant roadworks caused by one utility after another digging up the same piece of road infuriates everyone," said Mr Rendel.

Regulation of the companies running these networks is vital if consumers' interests are to be protected

Edward Leigh Committee chairman

Regulators had told the committee they did not see the issue as part of their role, said the MP.

"I hope that this report will persuade them that it should be," he added.

The committee says industry regulators could include the benefit of sharing works in their price-setting calculations.

The Automobile Association welcomed the call, saying voluntary arrangements had not worked.

That claim was disputed by Bill Linskey, chairman of the National Joint Utilities Group.

Roadworks were already shared between companies through co-ordination groups, which linked with local councils, he said.

"One of the difficulties is that a lot of works are very short duration and short periods of notice because they are either in response to customer demand or to repair faults," Mr Linskey told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The public accounts committee report also discovered that price regulation of utilities companies had cut costs for customers.

Voice for consumers

But more competition was needed to ensure the price falls continued, said the MPs.

Customers should also have more say on what improvements they were willing to pay for, they argued.

The report also urged "robust" ways of encouraging utilities firms to cut sewer flooding to an "acceptable" level.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "With little scope for competition, regulation of the companies running these networks is vital if consumers' interests are to be protected."

Regulators, however, also needed to be clearer about their future plans and do more to keep down the costs of regulation, said Mr Leigh.