Government Announces Additional £200m In Pothole Repair Funding
The government has announced an additional £200 million in funding for the 2023/4 tax year to help local authorities fix potholes on UK roads.
Potholes have become a serious issue on the roads, impacting the safety of drivers and vehicles as more strain is put on the roads through increased traffic volumes.
It’s hoped that the funding will fix an additional four million potholes and go some way to improving the state of our roads.
The news was announced in the Spring Budget and the Chancellor made the decision to increase the pothole repair fund from £500m to £700m.
Potholes – How Big An Issue Are They?
According to a study late in 2022, more than 200 breakdowns were recorded every single day in November and December because of damage caused by potholes.
Potholes are caused by a multitude of factors, including water freezing and then expanding into small cracks, causing the road surface to crack and break apart.
The issue is that as heavy traffic passes through them, more adverse weather hits the roads, and the condition deteriorates even further.
And while funding for pothole repairs has been a constant battle for local authorities, the unfortunate reality is that the longer they’re left, the worse they are. And quick repair jobs often need redoing shortly after because poor maintenance only worsens the problem in the long run.
Punctures from potholes are more common than you think, particularly when potholes are deeper than you think.
What’s Happening With Potholes?
Well, that depends on where you live. The good news is that the additional funding means more potholes will be repaired.
But for fleet owners and drivers, it doesn’t matter as much where you live, you’re probably going to encounter your fair share of potholes along your routes.
And because the responsibility lies with local authorities to repair them, some areas are much more responsive and successful than others – such is life!
The funding may have a positive impact, but experts have warned that it could be a drop in the ocean compared to the level of funding needed to clear the backlog of pothole repairs.
Experts have estimated that it will take around £9 billion in investment and around 7 years at the current level of staffing and rate of repairs to clear the backlog and get our roads into shape.
Of course, the big picture is the impact on road safety.
If you’ve ever had to weave around a pothole on a busy road, you’ll know the feeling – some are unavoidable, though.
The quality of the road surface is something you take for granted most of the time but if it’s another thing you have to factor into your driving, that only adds to the list of things you need to concern yourself with while at the wheel.
What do you think about the increase in the pothole repair budget? Is it enough or do you think more needs to be done to improve our road surfaces? Let us know in the comments below.
