A new competition to explore ways to sort out Britain’s overcrowded and polluting roads has opened.

The 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize calls for ideas to bring more investment and a better deal for road users

The 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize calls for ideas to bring more investment and a better deal for road users as part of the big shift to digital technology, new forms of power and self-driving vehicles.

Offering a prize of £250,000, the competition asks: “How can we pay for better, safer, more reliable roads in a way that is fair to road users and good for the economy and the environment?”

Prize guidelines state that answers should make a strong case for attracting support from road users by improving the network and addressing concerns about data privacy.

The contest is free to enter and open to anyone. It is sponsored by the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust and managed by the Policy Exchange think tank.

Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise, who founded the prize to address public policy challenges, said: “Motorists deserve a better deal and less time wasted in jams. If we can learn from the rest of the world, or pioneer new thinking here in Britain, then we can do something about delays. The judging panel will be looking for the most innovative and practical ideas to help break the logjam.”

The deadline for submissions to the prize is Thursday 2 March 2017. A shortlist will be announced in April 2017, with the prize being awarded at a ceremony in July 2017.

For more details and to enter, visit: https://policyexchange.org.uk/wolfsonprize/