Motorists unhappy with pothole repair performance

The government has a long way to go to convince drivers that they have potholes under control, as 67 per cent of motorists think that they are doing a bad or a very bad job of maintaining the nation’s roads, according to the latest research published today by the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

The survey suggests there is a clear lack of communication between the motoring public and local councils. A third of drivers (34 per cent) think that their council is cutting spending on road maintenance but 60 per cent of drivers don’t know if budgets are being cut, suggesting councils are performing poorly on informing and engaging with local residents. Over half of drivers (52 per cent) think that local councils are doing a bad or very bad job of looking after local roads. Fifty-seven per cent of males and 49 per cent of females believe their council is doing a bad or very bad job.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Despite the government’s pothole review, there is a high level of dissatisfaction with the efforts of authorities to keep our roads safe and smooth drive or ride on.

“The government need to convince motorists that they have a real cure for the pothole pandemic. This can only be achieved through clear communication on new policies, more sharing of resources, sustained long-term funding and a continued commitment to eradicating the maintenance backlog of crumbling British roads.”