Driver desperate about the condition of her local road puts together a file of photos of more than 700 potholes along a 10-mile stretch
A fed-up driver has waged war against a pothole epidemic plaguing her local roads by compiling a dossier of more than 700 ‘terrible’ craters along a 10-mile stretch in Scotland.
Samantha Garden decided to file the file on the stretch of road between Lockerbie and Annan after clashing with the local authority over the state of the road three times last year.
Ms Garden said she had reached the end of her tether after her car was damaged resulting in two payouts and one rejected claim on the B723.
After the third incident where she needed a new tire, she set out to document every breakdown along the way.
Samantha said, ‘I’ve told my parents I’ll start at the Lockerbie viaduct and I’ll walk from Lockerbie to Annan and photograph every pothole.
Samantha Garden has waged war against the 700 potholes she found in a 10-mile stretch in Scotland
Mrs Garden found the potholes between Lockerbie and Annan and has produced a file of photographs showing the poor condition of the B723
“I have about 708 holes in the road and some of them are absolutely horrible.
The damage is yet another addition to Britain’s shameful pothole epidemic.
In April, some of the worst streets in the country were revealed – and shocking photos showed just how damaged the UK’s roads are.
Ms Garden said she will be sending her dossier to MSPs, MPs and the Prime Minister and I will be writing a general email to tell them my patience has run out.
‘The municipality would rather pay claims than repair the roads. It’s a dangerous road. It’s going to cause a fatal accident.
“It’s a bit of a joke and it’s the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Some of the prominent potholes show the previous surface, complete with old road markings and potholes stretching meter by meter along one side of the road.
Samantha, who lives near Lockerbie, drives the route daily and wants repairs done as quickly as possible.
The 33-year-old added: ‘If there’s ever any work on the A75, we’re a diversion route, so we’ll take all that traffic, which is hundreds and hundreds of lorries a day.
“They get diverted onto a B road and it gets eaten. I think it’s been about 11 years since this road was repaired.
“I’ve got sheep three-quarters of a mile down that road that I look after. You have to drive everywhere to avoid the potholes.’
Samantha explained that she went on a warpath after three incidents involving damage to her car.
She said, “Last year I hit a pothole and I was really annoyed with the road conditions, so I filed a claim to get a new alloy and tire.
Ms Garden uses the road every day and has had three run-ins with local authorities in the past year after her car was damaged resulting in two payouts
“I reported it to the council at the same time I filed a claim and they rejected it because they had 30 days since I reported it to fix it.
“The pothole had been there for months before I hit it. I should have been entitled to a payout.
“In January I had just had new tires fitted and I hit another big pothole and bent my alloy again, the tire burst and I had to have my car salvaged because of the damage.
‘I was at my wit’s end. I contacted the police, searched Google Maps for the pit from a year ago, got loads of evidence and filed the claim.
“Finally, four months later, they paid out. But I had to file a new claim three weeks later from a different pit.
‘It is ridiculous. I drive around and see good roads and our way is forgotten.’
A spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway council said the roads recognized by the local authority need improvement and in February pledged £30 million in funding over the next five years.
He added: ‘The condition of roads across Scotland is a major challenge, with the total funding required to bring council-run roads across Scotland up to a good level estimated at nearly £1.7 billion.
“So while the council is making significant additional investments, we will still need to carefully prioritize repair work to ensure we target the areas of greatest need.”
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