Is lockdown a chance to fix Highland potholes?
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Roads departments have been ordered to make the most of Covid-19’s deserted roads – by mending all their potholes.
But the position in Highland is not as clear in other regions, according to one watchdog.
Confused.com expert Alex Kindred confirmed that the Department for Transport had ordered councils to repair potholes around the country while the roads are relatively empty: “Lockdown gives local councils both the time and space they really need to get our roads up to scratch.
“Unfortunately, potholes continue to be a serious issue, especially following the damage left by storms at the start of the year. Our scrolling animation shows just how deep the problem goes across the UK – one that cost councils almost £3 million in compensation pay outs for damaged vehicles in just one year.”
But while most regional problems are detailed, Highland was missing. A Confused.com spokesperson confessed they were confused: “Highland Council had financial figures for 2017/18, but they didn’t hold the data for the number of potholes reported or repaired, so we were unable to aggregate a response from them.”
Nationally, more than a quarter of drivers (28 per cent) reported they had had an accident or a near-miss because of potholes.
“We also found that two in five have had to fork out more than £100 to repair damage caused by potholes, on average. Knowing who to get in touch with can be confusing. But you should always report any road defects to your local council. Hopefully, with councils taking action while we’re under lockdown, the roads will be in a far better state by the time we’re out and about driving again.”
