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Local authorities not delivering on pothole repair

Tuesday, 06 May 2008 12:08
Potholes are a major headache for drivers
Nearly 50 per cent of British motorists are not getting value for money from local authorities over pothole repair, declares Motorpoint.

Recent figures published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance show there are more than 3.5 million potholes in local roads in England and Wales. Local authorities do not, it seems, have budgets that are not sufficient to repair them.

David Shelton, managing director of Motorpoint, a leading car supermarket group, had this to say on the matter: "There are all sorts of issues here. The main one is that people are being injured and vehicles are being damaged because of unrepaired potholes."

To make matters worse, the AA have made it known that local authorities are paying out as much on claims for damage to vehicles as they are on filling the potholes. In 2007, compensation payments amounted to £53 million.

Warranty Direct also published figures at the beginning of 2008, which revealed a connection between axle, suspension and steering damage with potholed roads. Estimates put the cost to British motorists at more than £2.8 billion a year in repairs.

"At a time when fuel prices, taxes and other motoring costs are escalating, it seems like a bad bargain for motorists to be paying out for pothole repairs that are not happening, covering the resulting compensation payments through council tax and stumping up for repairs to their own vehicles," Mr Shelton concluded.

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