The RAC’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said the scheme should “force utilities companies to raise their game and should ultimately lead to smoother and safer journeys for all road users”.
The latest ALARM report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance showed that local authorities in England and Wales face a nine-year backlog of road repairs that is estimated to cost £12.6 billion. A recent investigation by What Car? found that councils and road authorities paid out more than £12 million in compensation to motorists between 2018 and 2021 for damage caused by poor road surfaces and potholes.
More than 145,000 compensation claims were logged during that period, of which 37,366 were successful. Successful claimants were paid an average sum of £347 – £300 more than it is estimated to cost to fill a pothole. Highways England – which manages 4300 miles of the motorway, A-road and dual-carriageway network – was found to have paid the most to drivers, with compensation totalling £865,264.