Cambridgeshire's roads 'worse than most' for motorcyclists
New riders are being trained to watch out for road damage
Last updated 22nd Sep 2023
A motorcyclist trainer in Cambridgeshire is telling us the county's roads are some of the worse in the eastern region.
That's despite 82% of road users on England's major A roads feeling safe while 73% were happy with surface quality, according to a survey by independent watchdog Transport Focus.
Some of the damage done to Cambridgeshire's roads includes potholes when in May, the county council found 10,000 potholes needing repair, double than at the same time last year.
Keith Philpot is a trainee instructor at AAA Motorcycle Training:
"I ride in many different counties and I'd say Cambridgeshire is probably worse than most," he said.
"On a bike you feel a lot more as you're going along and that change in road surface is very noticeable.
"Potholes damage the bike but can cause other road users to change direction without warning, which puts us at greater risk."
'Proactive approach' due to be taken towards road damage
In the spring, Cambridgeshire County Council said an extra £3.617 million from the Department for Transport to repair the county's roads would "allow for a new proactive approach to be used to manage our response to the increasing number of potholes".
Fenland district councillor Charlie Marks had previously called for more thorough upgrades to be completed on roads in need of repair but admitted not all damage will be mended.
Keith, whose daughter has been involved in a motorbike accident, believes some of the road surfaces can lead to riders losing control of their vehicle.
"We teach people to ride 125cc motorbikes which have narrower wheels; they can easily get caught in the grooves in the road, which for a new rider, can be extremely unnerving and can destabilise the bike to the point where they fall off," he said.
"We are having to train new riders not only to watch out for cars and other road users, but to scan the road surface as well."
More crews tackling worst road damage - council
Cambridgeshire County Council said extreme weather conditions have caused "unprecedented damage to our roads".
But it said issues are being dealt with, including potholes where a surface dressing programme is planning to cover 92 roads in the county.
"This year we have doubled the crews on the ground dealing with potholes, with a renewed emphasis on proactively identifying minor issues before they develop further," a county council spokesperson said.
"An additional £3.6m was secured for pothole repairs on top of the £8.3m already budgeted.
"Around £5m is currently being invested into a programme of surface dressing, to prevent damage and prolong the life of the county’s roads, ensuring they continue to be safe for all road users."