Transport Secretary looks to new repair technology to tackle pothole ‘plague’

Labour has pledged to fix an additional one million potholes across England a year.

Louise Haigh said the state of the nation’s roads had become a ‘constant and visible reminder of the decline in our country’s infrastructure’ (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Archive)

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has declared war on potholes, vowing to use cutting-edge repair technology to battle the “plague”.

Potholes delay journeys, put the lives of drivers and cyclists at risk, and damages vehicles, the Government said.

During the general election campaign, Labour pledged to fix an additional one million potholes across England in each year of the next parliament.

Ms Haigh said the state of the nation’s roads had become a “constant and visible reminder of the decline in our country’s infrastructure”.

Last month, new research revealed that concern about the state of local roads had reached record levels.

Some 27% of those questioned in a survey commissioned by the RAC said their vehicle had suffered damage as a result of potholes in the previous 12 months.

During a visit to Blackpool on Thursday, the Transport Secretary met road workers and councillors to learn about high-definition imagery technology.

Blackpool Council are already doing fantastic work to make the most of new technology to repair potholes faster. This should be a model for every community to learn from

Louise Haigh

The town’s Project Amber scheme uses an advanced imagery system that takes high-definition pictures of roads to detect potholes and compile data on areas most in need of repair.

It is hoped similar systems can be replicated across the country.

Ms Haigh said: “For too long, this country has suffered from a pothole plague.

“Blackpool Council are already doing fantastic work to make the most of new technology to repair potholes faster.

“This should be a model for every community to learn from and help deliver the roads their drivers deserve.”

Blackpool has seen significant reductions in its compensation bill for pothole-related payouts since using the technology.

In previous years it was paying up to £1.5 million a year to settle claims, but last year it paid out £719, the Government said.

Paula Burdess, of Blackpool Council, said: “Blackpool has always been synonymous with innovation – how we look after our roads is no different.

“I’m really proud that Blackpool are leading the way nationally with innovative road maintenance.

“By repairing the roads at an early stage, we can also avoid more costly repairs in the future.”