Cracking up in fight to fix city’s pothole problem
ALWAYS a hot topic and the scourge of drivers and cyclists everywhere, potholes are firmly back on the agenda and one Glasgow man is battling to get them fixed.
Jamie Canavan, the founder of the popular Facebook group Potholes In and Around Glasgow, has told the full story behind his incredibly popular project.
“I just want the roads to be safe for road users and pedestrians, people can’t afford the damages either,” said the 29-year-old.
“When I’m driving, I’m constantly left-right-leftright to avoid potholes.”
The group has clearly touched a nerve, racking up nearly 3000 members since launching just a matter of weeks ago.
Jamie was inspired to start the group last year when he hit a pothole in Braeburn Road, in Renfrewshire. He could not claim compensation, he said, because the council had been made aware of the issue.
He said: “They said they had put appropriate measures in place, but the ‘appropriate measures’ were just a wee bit of paint on a dark road and that was it.
“It wasn’t coned off or anything, it was nothing. I was meant to be able to see that paint in the dark.
“Because of that, I lost out on getting any of the money back that I had to spend. I spent £600 on a new alloy, a new tyre and getting my wheels realigned.”
He describes the situation as being a Catch-22, because drivers cannot be reimbursed if the council is aware of the problem and has taken appropriate measures.
The lorry driver added: “I don’t think that a wee bit of paint and one cone is enough to warn people. It’s negligence.”
Some of the group’s members have raised concerns that patch-repairs will only serve as a sticking-plaster solution, but Jamie argued it was better than the potholes not being fixed at all.
And the worst pothole he’s seen in the city?
“There was one in Shawlands, that was really bad and that got reported to the council,” said Shettleston.
“But it’s everywhere and it’s getting worse and worse. I think Covid has had a big part in it, because of reduced manpower.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Any potholes reported to us will be properly assessed by one of our roads inspectors and prioritised appropriately for repair
“Our inspectors also undertake proactive checks of the city’s road network on a routine and on-going basis .
“In the early part of any year it is normal to see an increase in potholes and other faults as the impact of winter weather on the roads surface takes effect. Weather conditions in winter this year were particularly harsh.
“The covid pandemic has also affected how we can deploy our resources.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “We encourage residents to report road faults to us as soon as they notice them.
“When a pothole is reported to us, we send an inspector out to assess it and then arrange for the pothole to be repaired as soon as possible.”
Jamie, from