Yahoo News Potholed roads mapped as Midland firms left counting the cost
Half of all small businesses in some pothole-plagued parts of the nation have been left counting the cost of expensive repairs to company vehicles - with up to one in six facing bills above £500. One in two small business owners in the West Midlands said they had seen potholes eat into their profits over the last 12 months.
New research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that 47 per cent of small firms in England have been negatively impacted by potholes in the last 12 months. That includes the cost of repairing damage to work vehicles, but also missed meetings and appointments, failed deliveries, and even road accidents.
However, small businesses in the Midlands and the South East were even more likely to be affected by poorly repaired roads. The study found 51 per cent of small business owners in the West Midlands said potholes reduced profit margins. That compared to 50 per cent in the East Midlands and the south east.
READ MORE: 'Rapid improvement' order at Birmingham hospital used by thousands of pregnant women
Businesses in London were least likely to have been impacted by poor road quality, but even in the capital, more than one in three small firms, 36 per cent, had seen work vehicles damaged by potholes.
Over a third of small firms, 37 per cent, said potholes had cost them more than £100 in vehicle repairs or lost business while nearly a quarter, 24 per cent, had paid more than £300 and 13 per cent said potholes had caused more than £500-worth of damage in the last year.
You can see the parts of the country where small businesses are most affected by pothole damage using our interactive map.
The research - based on responses from more than 1,300 small businesses - came after the government pledged to spend an extra £500 million repairing roads in the Budget. The FSB said it was “crucial” that councils ring-fenced funds specifically for potholes and road maintenance, and published their plans, to ensure the extra cash “is not absorbed into wider transportation or general funding pots.”
The business group wants a national pothole damage compensation claim form template to be introduced and properly advertised by all local authorities. It believes this would guarantee a “fast and simple claim process that links directly with a national pothole reporting app.”
The FSB said many small businesses were not aware they had a right to claim back money for losses caused by potholes - and wants councils to do more to help those affected. FSB policy chair Tina McKenzie said: “Potholes are a major blight on our roads, and as our new research clearly shows, they are causing untold misery to small business owners across the country, resulting in major financial and reliability issues.
“One business owner we spoke to has been forced to pay for three new tyres in the space of 12 months. Another, who provides healthcare workers to care homes and hospitals, regularly gets calls from staff saying they can’t get to their shift due to pothole damage, impacting both her business and her clients’ staffing levels.
“Small businesses are under the cosh with increasing costs across the board. Having to pay out to fix costly damage from a vehicle or dealing with other disruption is the last thing they need. We were pleased additional funds have been promised by the government at the Budget - we now need to see this plague of potholes being fixed rapidly and efficiently, resulting in a major improvement in our roads.”
The FSB is calling for a common-sense “while you’re there” approach when fixing potholes. It says teams sent to fill in a pothole should ensure they review that section of road for any other defects that need to be fixed before they leave, increasing efficiency and saving money and time in the long-term.
