Driving instructor hopes five-point plan solves pothole crisis in East of England
The plan calls on permanent pothole repairs to be made on our roads
Last updated 15th Jan 2024
A driving instructor from Cambridgeshire believes a new plan calling for better repairs on our roads can only be a step in the right direction.
Today the Pothole Partnership, formed by the AA, the National Motorcyclists Council, Cycling UK and JCB, has launched a five-point plan calling on local authorities, the government and road repair contractors to put in permanent rather than temporary pothole repairs.
The Partnership also wants more clarity on the government's £8.3 billion investment scheme in repairing local roads, and more transparency on how local authorities will spend this funding.
James Gribble - a driving instructor from Fenland - feels a daily struggle trying to avoid potholes:
"Potholes tend to affect me every day because I'm having to avoid them all the time," he said.
"Mentally it's stressful trying to remember where they are and making sure pupils avoid them, and not every pothole can cause damage but it's unnerving when you hit a hard pothole, waiting to see if there's been damage caused.
"The impact of hitting potholes can sometimes lead to immediate tyre damage, curtailing a lesson or long-term damage leading to the need to replace damaged tyres early in their life and has an effect on the teaching time and my income."
Five-point plan to fix potholes 'has to be good'
In November, transport secretary Mark Harper said "people will see improvement straight away" once councils start to receive the money from the £8.3bn investment.
"That money is enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads, so people will see a step change in the quality of local roads," he said at the time.
But Mr Harper said it was up to local authorities on how they spend maintenance funding, such as not just focussing on fixing potholes.
"There needs to be a long-term strategy"
James, when he's travelled to different regions in the country, believes the pothole situation in the East may be worse.
"Any plan that puts pressure on the authorities to take seriously the state of our roads has to be good," he said.
"I've travelled to other regions and the problems do not appear to be as severe as they do in this area.
"There needs to be a long-term strategy in place; I also understand finance has to be an issue, but it's surely a false economy having to return to the same road surface again and again to affect repair."
Cambridgeshire County Council has been approached for comment.