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The Pothole Partnership has welcomed promises by both Labour and Conservatives in their manifestos to fix the nation’s growing pothole crisis.

The Partnership, formed earlier this year by The AA, the National Motorcyclists Council, British Cycling and manufacturer JCB and supported by the British Motorcyclists Federation, IAM RoadSmart and TyreSafe issued its own 5-pont Manifesto earlier this week.

Today the Labour party pledged to fund councils to repair up to a million potholes a year in England and yesterday the Conservative manifesto included a promise to create a dedicated £8.3 billion fund to fill potholes and resurface roads.

The Pothole Partnership has welcomed the announcements by both parties but say in their manifesto that promises need to be backed with firm action

The partnership is telling politicians that permanently fixing the potholes will be one of their most popular polices with voters. Some 96% of drivers rated potholes as the most important transport issue in an AA poll.

It also warns that pothole damage is affecting the economy with damage to vehicles hitting a five-year high. It has been estimated that the pothole crisis is costing the economy of England alone at least £14.4bn per year.*

The Partnership’s five point manifesto plan calls for:

Permanent: Local authorities to limit the practice of temporary pothole repairs or patches and, where possible, every pothole or patch to be repaired permanently.

Precise: All local authorities / contractors to adhere to UK-wide repair and inspection standards, and report annually on the repairs undertaken.

Price: Government to demonstrate greater urgency by accelerating and increasing spending of the £8.3bn pothole funding for England in the first three years – with total clarity on the distribution to local authorities.

Provision: Central and local government to guarantee ringfencing of ALL road maintenance funding to help deliver innovations that enable permanent repairs.

Progress: Full transparency from local authorities on their roads repair backlog, categorised by potholes, patching works and road resurfacing.

Ben Rawding, JCB & Pothole Partnership founder member, is available for interviews to discuss the promises made and what actually needs to be done by the Government – whoever that might be.

To arrange an interview, please contact:

alex.williamson@markettiers.com

07970 226345

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