THE AA is demanding a 'cashback' system where drivers would get refunds on their car tax when the Highways Agency fails to meet its targets. John Dawson, the AA's policy director said the Agency's Road User's Charter seemed reasonable until you checked the figures.

He said: 'The target of having 93% of lanes on major routes - motorways and trunk roads - free from roadworks at all times is much too soft. It could be hit even if one lane on every mile of Britain's motorways was closed for 10 months of the year.'

Dawson added: 'Why shouldn't drivers get a rebate of, say, £10 for every month that standards slip, when they pay £4 billion for road fund licences every year? It is only right that drivers, like users of other national services such as gas and water should see evidence of how their money is being spent - and be reimbursed if they don't.'