Motorists face a postcode lottery when it comes to pothole repairs, reveals new research, with local authorities taking differing approaches to decide whether or not roads are fixed.
According to the RAC, just under a third (29 percent) of the 206 councils in Great Britain with responsibility for roads don’t publicly state any criteria for repairing potholes. And a little over a third (35 percent) list specific pothole depths, and in some cases widths as well.
Meanwhile, 76 local councils (37 percent) state they take a ‘risk-based approach’ to deciding which potholes to fix and how quickly.
The RAC says these differing strategies mean members of the public who proactively report potholes to local authorities with a view to getting them repaired ‘may often be left frustrated’ when no action is taken. And that potholes may simply be left to get larger in order to merit repair criteria.
‘Worse roads for all’
Meanwhile, the breakdown giant claims there is ‘precious little consistency’ among councils on how they fix potholes. East Riding Council – which uses a risk-based approach to repairing road defects – ‘very positively’ explains that it inspects all reported potholes within 24 hours, fixing the most urgent within the same timeframe, then clearly sets out how it prioritises repairing the remainder.
By contrast, Redcar and Cleveland Council does not appear to have a single page on its website that even references potholes, nor an ability for people to report them online.
As such, the RAC says use of size-based criteria could be used by councils as a means of ‘kicking the can down the road’ and avoiding the cost of repairs.
‘Urgent need for new guidance’
RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Just reporting a road defect doesn’t guarantee it will get fixed. In some cases, councils state a pothole needs to be sufficiently deep or wide to be considered for repair. This can be enormously frustrating for anyone who comes across one, reports it, but then witnesses it get even bigger and more dangerous as it didn’t quite reach a council’s threshold for repair.”
“We believe there is an urgent need for Whitehall to provide fresh guidance to councils to bring about consistency when it comes to prioritising potholes and taking action to fix them.
“We’re also concerned about reports that some councils are refusing compensation claims from drivers who have damaged their cars from potholes, by stating they already have them scheduled for repair – even if that repair isn’t due for months.”
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