Potholes is an issue that resonates well in news stories. It’s a snappy word that sums up government indifference to an everyday concern with a seemingly simple solution (fill them in!). So, an announcement from the Department for Transport at the end of 2024 confirming seven million more holes would be filled with a £1.6bn funding package was seen as good news.
However, the state of the roads is an ongoing safety issue for two-wheelers, especially motorcycles, and the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has asked for more. While welcoming the extra road repair funding, the NMC says the government has to go further on safety with new measures to reduce rider vulnerability as part of its forthcoming Road Safety Strategy.
NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said: Clearly, the NMC, along with other members of the Pothole Partnership, very much welcome the announcement, particularly if this leads to improved maintenance standards and permanent pothole repairs. However, we are looking to the government to build on this, with a commitment to look more positively at how road infrastructure initiatives, such as access to other areas of safety, can be of benefit – looking again at research into matters such as junction design, engineering guidelines, bus lanes, signage, visibility issues, advanced training and emerging technologies. We also seek an urgent review into motorcycle licence testing and training.”
Pothole Partnership wants more from councils
The Pothole Partnership reckons things are looking up for the nation’s pothole problem. The Partnership– a joint campaign against poor road conditions by road user organisations including the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), British Cycling and the AA – says there’s an improving picture, thanks to a new £1.6bn government fund to implement repairs, with the number of pothole-related incidents attended by the AA marginally declining last year.
But the Partnership is urging councils to do more by investing in technology to make better repairs and to carry out permanent fixes instead of temporary patches.
Craig Carey-Clinch, executive director at the NMC, said: “Potholes and road surface-related defects are extremely dangerous for motorcycle riders. A pothole that damages a car could prove fatal to a rider. With additional funding in place, action to clear the backlog of repairs can now be stepped up, plus investment in more permanent repairs.”
