Idle platitudes will not fix nation’s roads
In response to the RAC urging Government to do more when it comes to potholes on our roads, a spokesperson for the Local Government Association said that local authorities were working hard to prevent potholes whilst taking their responsibilities to the maintenance and upkeep of roads seriously. Poppycock.
In partnership with the Road Surface Treatments Association, the well-known breakdown firm is absolutely right to put pressure on both local and central governments when it comes to the state of the roads in this country.
It seems almost patronising to have to remind local authorities that a piecemeal, retrospective, reactive approach to patching up highways one pothole at a time is a false economy, yet that is precisely the approach being taken.
In the end, once again, it is the motorist whose pocket is punctured, with consumers picking up the cost of repairs to vehicles damaged by neglected asphalt to the tune of £500 a year on average.
In truth, people will be shocked to learn that there is a preventative treatment available to local authorities that can elongate the runway for roads when it comes to remaining in good condition, yet many don’t bother.
Well-maintained roads is not a nice-to-have for those who own and run a car, it is fundamental to community standards and pride and speaks volumes about how much those living in a given postcode care. The LGA would be better advised to accept that the nation’s roads are in poor condition, and that more needs to be done to fix them, rather than backfiring out idle platitudes.