National Highways chair thanked for 'extremely valuable' service as he steps down

Chair of National Highways Dipesh Shah OBE has been thanked by government and roads bosses for his 'extremely valuable' service after he announced he will step down by the end of the year.

Mr Shah agreed a short extension to his three-year tenure as chair, which had been due to end in August, taking him up to the end of the year if required while his successor is recruited.

He was appointed chair in September 2020 to help oversee the delivery of the second road investment strategy as well as support a range of key strategic initiatives for the government-owned company.

During this time as chair, Mr Shah worked closely with the National Highways executive and board as well as ministers and officials from the Department for Transport.

Transport secretary, Mark Harper said: 'I would like to thank Dipesh for his work as Chair of National Highways over the past three years.

'Ministers and officials in the Department for Transport have enjoyed working with Dipesh and appreciated his collaborative approach. I wish him the best of luck in his next steps.'

National Highways chief executive, Nick Harris, also thanked him 'for his dedication and support during his time as chair, his contribution has always been extremely valuable in helping shape and drive our priorities'.

The DfT will begin the process to recruit a new chair soon.

Mr Shah said: 'I have been privileged and honoured to serve as chair of National Highways which plays such a pivotal role in connecting communities across England. We have achieved much during my tenure and I am grateful to everyone involved with National Highways for their welcome and support.'

Over the second road period from 2020 to 2025, National Highways said it 'expects to have sustained up to 64,000 jobs in the construction industry and added £27bn to the economy, mainly via a £10.5 billion programme to improve the network'.

The company has also outlined a new vision to cut carbon emissions on the network to net zero as well as working to a target of a 50% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured by 2025.

Mr Shah will be continuing with his other chair roles outside National Highways as well as taking on additional responsibilities.