Government Releases £500M Pothole Fund
English councils have received their share of a £500 million highways maintenance fund.
The funding will go a long way to fixing the 10 million potholes throughout the country.
The £500 million fund is the second instalment from a £2.5 billion fund announced last year.
Comment
Transport Minister Baroness Vere said:
“We know potholes are more than just a nuisance-they can be dangerous to drivers and cyclists alike, and cause damage to thousands of vehicles every year. The funding allocated today will help councils ensure roads in their area are kept up to standard, and that the potholes that blight road users can be dealt with promptly”.
Since 2015, the government has given local authorities over £1.7 billion to maintain roads.
Through Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2), the government is investing £27 billion in the biggest ever roads programme – with £10 billion of the record-breaking sum specifically for road maintenance, operations and renewals.
Pothole Facts
- Potholes account for 1/3 of mechanical issues on UK roads
- They cost British motorists an estimated £2.8 billion every year
- Authorities currently pay out more than £30 million in compensation claims due to poor roads
- Road maintenance in England and Wales is underfunded by around 55%, or £1 billion every year
In a recent survey by RoadSmart,
- (75%) perceive potholes to be a bigger issue for road users than they were three years ago.
- 89% of drivers have been affected by potholes over the last year
- 31% of drivers had changed their route to avoid a pothole
- 54% having had to steer away or brake hard to avoid impact and damage
In the last three months, RAC patrols attended almost 1,500 call-outs of 2020 for pothole-related breakdowns, despite reduced traffic volumes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Government Releases £500M Pothole Fund