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The majority of councils are accused of treating potholes with a quick ‘throw and go’ repair that takes just WEEKS as estimates suggest repairing Britain’s damaged roads would take NINE years and cost £12.64bn would cost
- It could cost £75.7 million to every local authority in England and Wales
- The Daily Mail is campaigning to end the pit plague
Municipalities have been accused of not repairing potholes properly, as it has been argued that the majority use a temporary ‘throw and go’ method to repair them.
Motorists and cyclists often complain of potholes reappearing months—or even weeks—after repairs.
A manager from construction giant JCB believes this is because councils rely on a quick ‘throw and go’ solution – where damaged soil is not removed or repaired before asphalt is used to fill it.
The Daily Mail is campaigning to end the pothole plague, which is costing motorists millions of pounds in repairs, while cyclists are at risk of injury or death. JCB have created a £200,000 ‘Pothole Pro’ – a vehicle designed to clear and cut away damaged soil to ensure the cavity doesn’t collapse again.
Ben Rawding, general manager of the Pothole Pro, said of the ‘throw and go’ method: ‘It’s only temporary – the pothole can collapse in two weeks to two years. I know a municipality that has repaired the same pit four or five times in a year.’
Municipalities have been accused of not repairing potholes properly as it has been claimed that the majority use a temporary ‘throw and go’ method to repair them
Industry figures published last year showed it would take nine years to clear the backlog, costing £12.64 billion – the equivalent of £75.7 million for each local authority in England and Wales
Many councils claim they don’t have enough money from Whitehall to effectively deal with potholes.
Industry figures published last year showed that it would take nine years to clear the backlog, at a cost of £12.64 billion – the equivalent of £75.7 million for each local authority in England and Wales.
Municipalities are responsible for repairing pockmarked roads, while National Highways manage highways and major A roads.
It is also clear that many local authorities use a combination of permanent and temporary methods to repair roads. However, Mr Rawding claimed that too many council bosses were reluctant to change their ways.
Potholes form when water seeps through cracks in the road and freezes and then thaws.
Water expands once turned to ice, leaving a hole in the ground after it melts, which eventually collapses under the weight of moving vehicles.
Scott Dixon, consumer litigation expert who runs thecomplaintsresolver.co.uk, said councils were only driving up costs by not permanently repairing potholes.
David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: ‘Councils work tirelessly to repair our local roads, with a pothole repaired by a council every 19 seconds.’
‘Municipalities would much rather spend money on preventing potholes. However, these challenges are exacerbated by skyrocketing inflation, with a shortage of materials such as bitumen driving up repair costs by more than 20 percent.”
‘Shortage of materials’