Please see, below this further comment, this morning’s press release from the Government about annual reporting of progress on pothole repairs. Attached is the Pothole Partnership’s ‘Pothole Pledge’
The Pothole Partnership (The AA, British Cycling, JCB and the NMC, plus the British Motorcyclists Federation, IAM RoadSmart and TyreSafe) has welcomed the announcement from the Government on a requirement for progress reporting by local authorities, as they use additional ringfenced funding to tackle the ‘Pothole Plague’. Reporting and ringfencing are key parts of the Partnership’s ‘Pothole Pledge’ and we are delighted that the Government has responded positively on these points.
The partnership continues discussion with the DfT on the other key elements of the ‘Pledge’ which taken together will result in real progress in tackling the serious issues that potholes represent to drivers and riders, these include the need for permanent repairs, not temporary fixes, with all repairs done to the correct standards which are needed to achieve long term results. Last week’s ALARM report also revealed that while the £1.6billion allocated is a very positive and welcome start, this will need to be built upon in the coming years if we are to finally put the backlog of pothole related issues behind us.
A per its quote in the DfT release below, the NMC welcomes this announcement as a very positive step forwards curing the pothole plague. Progress reporting is a key part of the solution. Potholes and road surface defects are extremely hazardous for motorcycle riders. The same pothole that can damage a car, could have a far more serious consequence for a motorcyclist or cyclist. The NMC, a member of the Pothole Partnership, also urges local authorities to use funding sustainably on high standard permanent repairs, not on short-life temporary patching.
Department for Transport Press Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-tells-councils-to-prove-action-on-pothole-plague-to-unlock-extra-cash-and-reveals-48bn-for-major-roads