A Government spending watchdog today launched a scathing attack on the management of England's roads, and attempts to cut congestion.

The National Audit Office said the Highways Agency was too concerned with risks to try fresh ideas, had managed pilot schemes poorly and could have better spent its money.

Congestion is worse than a decade ago and now costs industry and commerce about £3 billion a year, it said in a report published today.

The head of the powerful Commons public accounts committee labelled the Highways Agency "timid and irresolute" in tackling the country's jammed roads.

The Agency said it had launched new initiatives to combat congestion but admitted more work had to be done.

Keith Holden, director responsible for transport at the NAO, said: "There are 31 million vehicles on the roads on this rather small island.

"Congestion is a current problem and the Government needs some quick wins. Building roads or widening them takes many years and it needs to look at programmes that make quicker wins."

The report said the Highways Agency had been too slow to introduce new measures to reduce congestion.

It said England was behind its European neighbours in adopting new ideas and had failed to install the most appropriate technology on some of the most congested routes.

The report said average traffic speeds had improved between 1998 and 2003 but they were still slower than 1995 levels.

Traffic volumes on all roads rose by 14% between 1995 and 2002 and by 26% on the nation's motorways.

Sheer weight of traffic accounted for 65% of congestion, while accidents or incidents made up 25% and road works 10%.