Councils are implementing new policies and being far more open about how they deal with potholes
WE all know that Britain’s roads are in a bad state. Severe winter weather and a lack of maintenance have left parts of the country’s highways little better than those found in Third World nations.
Not only do they cause discomfort for drivers, the worst cases can lead to vehicle damage. So what’s being done?
A recent survey by road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists to chart progress on adopting the key recommendations for the Pothole Review 12 months on has shown that councils are implementing new policies and being far more open about how and when they will deal with potholes.
But, says the IAM, councils need to commit to long-term funding to make progress with the UK’s pothole crisis. The survey showed:
- Forty-seven per cent of councils had published a report giving details on their repair policy with 85% saying they had clear definitions of what a pothole looks like
- Seventy-seven per cent of authorities issued clear information on repair response times
- Fifty-seven per cent had put innovative communication channels in place to make it easier for the public to report potholes.
The Pothole Review has resulted in major changes in the way that local authorities repair roads. Fifty-nine per cent say they now have a ‘prevention-is-better-than-cure’ approach while 71% say that permanent repairs are their priority when dealing with damaged roads.
IAM chief executive Simon Best told Business Vans: “It’s probably too early to say that the Pothole Review has been a total success, but the early indications are mostly positive. Communication with drivers and riders has improved and permanent repairs are now being used in place of constant patching.”
See: Pothole epidemic ‘set to cause traffic congestion misery’.
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