Pothole goalposts should not be moved, warn Warranty Direct
The prospect of councils redefining how deep potholes must be before being fixed will only worsen Britain’s patchy roads, so says Warranty Direct.
Despite an additional £100m set aside for tackling potholes during March’s Budget, Lambeth Council has shifted the goalposts by announcing that it will only fill in potholes that are deeper than 1.57 inches. The South London authority’s previous requirement was 0.98 inches.
It is expected that 75% of English councils will adopt this attitude.
The cost of fixing Britain’s potholes was estimated at £13bn by Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister John Woodcock last week, but Duncan McClure Fisher, MD of Warranty Direct, said this is the result of years of neglect.
“Much of the estimated £13bn is attributable to a decade of completely inadequate patch and mend repairs and non-existent control over the numerous contractors who dig up the roads without a second thought,” he said.
“Councils must consider engaging local businesses much more in order to make real progress.
“This is another kick in the teeth for motorists who already pay an average of £335 a time to repair pothole-induced damage to their cars.
“It also undermines calls for a long-term strategic plan to manage the crisis so once again it’s the British motorist who will pay the price.”
Warranty Direct named and shamed the two most potholed roads earlier this week [full story] after inviting the public to nominate their most despised roads.
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