Government launches in-depth review of potholes in England

The Government has launched a new data-driven review into the mapping of England’s potholes to help target key areas in need of funding.

Aided by data from on-road businesses such as Uber and Deliveroo, the audit is being made in order to better focus on areas in need of improvement so that roads are in ‘top condition’ as people return to both school and work.

The Department for Transport (DfT) will work alongside highway data and mapping company Gaist to identify key areas which suffer from potholes. Companies such as Tesco and Ocado will provide pothole mapping data too, while local authorities will also be called upon to highlight these ‘pothole hot-spots’.

The information collated will be combined with existing data on current potholes, through which the DfT will then be able to create a detailed picture of where the most amount of funding is needed.

It follows on from £2.5bn of government funding pledged to pothole repairs, as well as highway maintenance works undertaken during lockdown which saw 319 miles of resurfacing completed.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I want our roads to be as safe as possible, so during the lockdown we’ve resurfaced hundreds of miles of road. But now I want to go further by identifying critical potholes and ensuring these are fixed as quickly as possible.

“We’re teaming up with delivery companies, who know the roads well, in order to map out where remaining potholes exist and then relentlessly target them with our record £2.5bn to pothole repair fund.

“Better road surfaces benefit motorists and cyclists alike ensuring the back to school and work environment is safer for everyone.”

Since 2010 the government has provided more than £1.2 billion in funding solely for the repair of potholes on the local highway network. It includes £500 million the from the £2.5bn announced in the budget earlier this year.