It's rush hour; there are long queues of traffic and roadworks everywhere. It is a familiar sight for many commuters, but things may be about to change.

The City Council wants to introduce a system that rewards roadwork contractors who complete their jobs on time and penalises those who fall behind schedule. 

Both Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen, and the deputy mayor for technical and environmental affairs, Morten Kabell, are in agreement with the idea.

"We are aware that this can go ahead and make the council’s construction work more expensive," Kabell told Berlingske. "But it is a cost we are prepared to take on board."

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Years of delays
Roadwork contractors are often the subject of criticism. But for years, no financial penalties have been imposed if their work is delayed.

"There is no doubt about it. We need to look at ourselves, and we need to therefore do something about it now," said Jensen.

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Time over money
The Danish union Dansk Vejforening, which has many roadwork contractors as members, has responded positively to the new idea.

"It is positive that the council is focusing on it as it is important to prioritise time rather than the cost in these tenders," Søren Bülow, the general-secretary of Dansk Vejforening, told Berlingske.

Every year, 10,000 roadworks appear in the capital. On average, there are 500 in progress on any given day.