Pothole power for the people

A new website has been launched to help motorists tackle the increasing scourge of Britain’s potholed roads.

The logically named, potholes.co.uk, is designed to assist long-suffering tax-payers highlight poor road surfaces to their local councils, plus advise on how to make a compensation claim should their own vehicle be damaged by a pothole.

Despite the billions of pounds paid into public coffers every year, Britain’s roads are quite simply falling apart. Experts say there has been a 65 percent rise in defects on English roads alone during the past decade, with the shortfall in funding for repairs running at an estimated £1.6bn.

As a result, the deteriorating roads - which latest research suggests can be blamed for a whopping 1 in 5 mechanical failures - saddle the motorist with an estimated £320m bill for unwanted car repairs.

Potholes.co.uk aims to campaign for swifter and more efficient road works on the nation’s network. As a community-based website it also offers details about how to report a pothole, as well as providing a forum to voice frustrations or offer advice to fellow motorists.

“We want the site to become a public service,” said spokesperson, Amanda Allen. “Motorists have a right to have their voice heard on the subject, and it’s clear that local authorities need help to identify the potholes in their region.”

For further information visit potholes.co.uk