Plymouth Named UK Seaside City with the Worst Pothole Problem
Plymouth faces a severe pothole crisis, with minimal road repairs completed last year, leaving many roads in disrepair.
Plymouth, UK, Potholes, Road Repairs, Labour, Government
Plymouth: So, it turns out Plymouth is really struggling with potholes. A recent study shows it has one of the worst pothole problems in the UK. Can you believe it?
The local council didn’t fix many roads last year. In fact, they only managed to repair one mile out of 135 miles that needed work. That’s just 0.7%! Yikes!
Now, the Labour-run council is at the top of the list for the worst pothole issues, with the Isle of Wight not far behind. They’ve only fixed 0.1% of their flagged roads. Talk about a mess!
On the flip side, Norfolk County Council, which is run by the Conservatives, is doing a great job. They’ve fixed 92% of the roads that needed repairs. Lucky locals there!
This info comes from the Department for Transport, and it really highlights how bad the situation is across the country. There are an estimated 11.5 million potholes still causing trouble on Britain’s roads.
Insurance experts have noticed a huge jump in claims related to potholes. The amount paid out has nearly tripled in five years, going from £1 million in 2019 to a staggering £2.8 million this year.
Claims have also shot up from 475 in 2019 to 832 by November 2024. Caroline Johnson from Allianz UK said it’s shocking how much damage potholes are causing.
According to the RAC, they responded to nearly 30,000 breakdowns last year due to issues like broken suspension springs and damaged wheels. That’s a lot of trouble!
In response, Labour has promised £1.6 billion to fix these pothole-damaged roads. They’re planning to give most of that money to local councils to help out.
Recently, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the state of Britain’s roads is appalling. Drivers are having to dodge potholes daily and are spending loads on car repairs. It’s a real headache!