Highways Act 1980 (Amendment) Bill

Key Points

• Amends section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 to restrict the defences available to highway authorities in defending claims under the Act.
• The change is intended to increase accountability of highway authorities for highway-related works and activities by limiting their legal defences.
• The bill is a Private Member's Bill introduced in the House of Commons by Sir Christopher Chope and is currently at Second Reading.
• If enacted, the measure could affect road users, local authorities, and contractors by changing the balance of risk and potential liability around highway maintenance and operations.

Progress

The bill is at its Second Reading in the House of Commons; it has not yet progressed to Committee or further stages.