Poorly maintained roads cost money and cause misery for hauliers need a proper long term solution, explained the RHA on what is National Pothole Day (15 January).
James Barwise, RHA Policy Lead, said: “Poorly maintained roads cause misery for millions of road users in delays and increased costs; congestion costs the economy £30bn a year.”
“We urge the government to ensure local authorities are equipped with latest technology for longer lasting and more cost-effective road maintenance. We also call on local authorities to allocate and ringfence pothole funding and perform permanent rather than temporary repairs.”
The UK government had announced its plan to commit £1.6bn to local authorities across England to fix an estimated seven million potholes.
In Scotland, no ‘pothole fund’ exists, with local councils tasked with pothole repairs from funds allocated from the devolved government to run the council.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “It is up to individual local authorities to manage their day-to-day decision-making and allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities.
“We recognise the crucial role councils, and their employees play in communities across Scotland. That’s why the Scottish government has made available over £14 billion to local councils this year, with a record £15 billion for 2025/26 set out in the draft Scottish Budget.”
