Pothole pollution is getting worse on our roads. The quality of the UK’s roads may be worsening according to data from the RAC’s Pothole Index which shows there has been a 31% increase in pothole-related faults attended by its patrols in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year. Between April and June RAC patrols went to the rescue of 3,565 motorists whose … [Read more...]
Potholes filling more RAC call-out slots
Despite mild and comparatively dry winter conditions the RAC attended 63% more pothole-related breakdowns in the first quarter of 2017 than they did over the same period in in 2016. In total the RAC dealt with more than 6,500 breakdown jobs between January and March 2017 that were likely to be attributable to poor road surfaces – such as broken suspension springs, damaged shock absorbers or … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 May
CBI Wales has now joined the Federation of Small Businesses and called for an immediate end to the Severn Bridge tolls to give the economy an instant boost. Current tolls will be slashed to £3 for small vehicles and £10 for bigger units when the bridges pass into public ownership in 2018. IAM RoadSmart is looking for a Younger Driver Ambassador from September 2017 to July 2018 in a … [Read more...]
Welsh local roads are in terminal decline
Within the next five years almost one in five local roads in Wales will need to be repaired reports this year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey, published today. The cumulative effect of an ageing network, decades of underfunding, increased traffic and wetter winters has led to around 18 per cent of all Welsh local roads reported as being in poor structural condition, with less … [Read more...]
Newslines 18 February
Councils want part of the fuel duty ring-fenced to pay for pothole repairs, which they have blamed on the rise in larger lorries. The RAC has been campaigning for this for several years but disputes the LGA assumption the damage is due to bigger vehicles and says it's an historic problem and the alternative would be smaller but more lorries leading to further congestion and pollution. Audi … [Read more...]
Crash, bang wallop, it’s national pothole day !
Pothole problems are opening up on Britain's roads at an increasing rate and the worst of the winter weather has yet to come. The RAC reported ‘pothole breakdowns’ rising in last quarter of year for first time since 2013. The number of pothole-related breakdowns attended by RAC patrols from October to December 2016 gave rise to the first fourth quarter increase in this type of problem since … [Read more...]
Costs exceed income for pothole repairs
The bottom is dropping out of the pothole budget this year, say councils. Repair costs are fast exceeding the money allocated to repair the crumbling road network and now the Local Government Association says 2017 will be the tipping point. That will be when the costs escalate inside two years to £14 Billion but the money coming in is falling and roads will be left unrepaired. The LGA … [Read more...]
Patched potholes pile pressure on pounds
Councils should stop doing "panic patch repairs" to potholes on roads and instead focus on keeping roads to high standards, the RAC has said. Welsh authorities spent more than £30m paying compensation in five years after accidents caused by potholes, and filling in potholes after receiving complaints, figures show. A Ceredigion pedestrian received over £83,000 after a fall due to a … [Read more...]
Motorists must claim for pothole damage to vehicles
Councils could be in for a shock with a new campaign to help motorists claim for pothole damage. The usually complex claims procedure should not put off claims from motorists who face hundreds of pounds in bills for serious damage to their vehicle, says MoneySavingExpert. The website has produced a guide to reporting a pothole, gathering evidence and making a claim, even going to the small … [Read more...]
Report a pothole day
The RAC has again joined the watch group Street Repairs to highlight the worst potholes today 15 January. Just as last year, the motoring organisation has put a free downloadable app on its website for drivers to record and publish locations of the worst holes. This enables motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists and other road users to instantly report street defects direct to the responsible … [Read more...]