Labour promises to crackdown on 'biggest concern' two in three drivers have
Almost two in three British drivers have named potholes as their biggest motoring concern. The AA said the total cost of fixing vehicles it attended in the UK which had broken down because of poor road surfaces in 2024 was £579 million.
That is compared with £474 million during the previous 12 months and is the highest total on record. The increase happened because a slight fall in the number of incidents, from 647,690 to 643,318, was more than offset by a leap in average repair bills, from £250 to £300.
Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils, called on the Government to “reconsider” this move, to “give councils the greater certainty they need”. He added: “Greater and sustainable long-term funding will enable councils to far more effectively plan for and invest in preventative treatments, which keep surfaces in better condition for longer.
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“The upcoming spending review provides an opportunity to give councils greater, longer-term funding certainty, so they can help make our local roads more resilient to severe weather, boost inclusive economic growth and prevent potholes which are more expensive to repair than preventative measures.”
AA president Edmund King said: “There is some light at the end of the pothole tunnel. The Government has listened to the Pothole Partnership and is beginning to instigate policies that should lead to longer term fixes rather than the recent patchwork approach.
“The good news is that pothole related car incidents have declined but the bad news is that the cost of repairs has increased. Potholes are still the number one issue for drivers and more needs to be done to build on this improvement.”
The RAC said the number of pothole-related callouts it received between October and December was 17 per cent more than in the previous three months.