13 million drivers’ cars damaged on our potholed roads
MORE than 13 million drivers have suffered damage to their cars from potholes over the past two years, according to an AA survey yesterday.
The total bill for punctures, dents and wrecked suspensions could run to £ 50million.
The survey also found that 24 crashes were caused by the holes, with some cars written off as a result.
The AA is now urging Chancellor George Osborne to use next week’s Budget to reverse cuts and increase spending to help fix Britain’s “crumbling and pothole- ridden” roads.
Last year the Asphalt Industry Alliance said repairing the road network would cost £ 12billion and take up to 15 years. This was despite emergency Government funding to help repair nearly 2.7 million potholes across England and Wales in 2014.
But the AA said roads do not get a fair deal given that fuel tax raises almost as much as business rates or council tax. AA president Edmund King said: “Government pothole crisis funds in recent years have been welcome but have only papered over the cracks on Britain’s roads. Autumn statement figures show that the financial year 2014- 15 was estimated to have raised £ 27.2billion from fuel duty. Yet, in 2013- 14, there was a £ 273million reduction in local authority expenditure on routine maintenance compared to the higher spending years in the last decade.
“Austerity- driven cuts in highway maintenance budgets just delay the inevitable – crumbling roads, vehicle damage and then emergency maintenance.”
The AA survey of 10,000 drivers found that two in five members had suffered pothole damage in the past two years – the equivalent of more than 13 million motorists.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “The Government is providing unprecedented levels of investment, allocating a record £ 6billion to councils in England to improve local roads over the next five years.
“We topped this up with £ 250million last year specifically to tackle potholes. This represents an overall funding increase of nearly £ 400million.”