Potty! Bin lorries to spot potholes before they start

...but what about those we already have?

BIN lorries are to be fitted with cameras in a ‘revolutionary’ scheme to spot potential potholes – with councils saying they need billions of pounds to fix those that already exist.

The cameras will spot cracks or other damage to the road surface that, if not repaired, will turn into potholes.

The Department for Transport last night claimed the cameras – officially a ‘pothole-spotter system, comprising high-definition cameras, integrated navigation system and intelligent software’ – would revolutionise the way the issue was dealt with.

But council bosses said that while the new technology was a good idea, it would not help to fix the millions of potholes already blighting the nation’s roads.

They estimate that the current backlog will take 14 years to fill in and have been demanding £1billion a year to ease the misery of motorists.

Instead, ministers have allocated just £70million, which they say will help repair more than 1.3million potholes.

Martin Tett, transport spokesman at the Local Government Association, said it was nowhere near enough.

‘Substantially more funding is needed to bring our roads up to scratch,’ he said. ‘A £12billion current backlog of road repairs would already take councils more than a decade to clear.

‘Councils fixed a pothole every 15 seconds last year despite significant budget reductions leaving them with less to spend on fixing our roads.

‘Our roads crisis is only going to get worse unless we address it as a national priority. This means the Government providing long-term and consistent funding to invest in the resurfacing projects which our road network desperately needs.’

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron dismissed the latest initiative. ‘This money will be, in practice, about as useless as the ministers announcing it,’ he said.

‘We are facing a £12billion pothole black hole and the Government announces this – a couple of cameras attached to bin lorries. It’s cheap, gesture politics of the worst kind.’

Self- styled ‘Mr Pothole’ campaigner Mark Morrell said: ‘It’s all well and good collecting this information but what are they going to do with it?’

The RAC said that last year drivers made more than 31,000 claims against local councils for potentially ‘ life- threatening’ vehicle damage, mostly to the suspension and wheels.

The LGA also said inadequate roads were putting businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

The DfT said that, overall, councils were being handed £1.2billion to spend on roads this year. It includes £801million for improving the condition of roads outside of London. Some £75million will be made available to help repair and maintain local highway infrastructure, such as bridges, lighting and rural roads.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: ‘This Government is investing record amounts improving and maintaining highways across the country to help motorists.

‘The funding we have allocated today is focused on relieving congestion and providing important upgrades to ensure our roads are fit for the future – helping to build an economy that works for everyone.’

The bin lorry cameras will be piloted by operators in York and Thurrock, Essex.

Councils already fill nearly two million potholes a year but they estimate that fixing every pothole on the nation’s roads would take 14 years at the current rate. That is a third higher than in 2006, when the backlog of repair work stretched to 10.9 years.

Comment – Page 14

‘Crisis going to get worse’