Twenty percent of carriageways in England and Wales are five years away from being unusable according to a study by the Asphalt Industry Alliance.
Road Haulage Association chief executive, Richard Burnett said: “The Government and local authorities can do a lot more to bring the network up to standard so that the roads aren’t full of cracks waiting to turn into dangerous potholes that can cause collisions. Local roads where hauliers make their last-mile deliveries are often in a poor state and the damage they can cause to HGVs – in particular to their suspension systems – can be considerable”
“More potholes means more breakdowns, more roadworks and more delays. And delays in a ‘just in time’ economy are disastrous for business.”
The RAC had reported a sharp increase in pothole-related breakdowns in the aftermath of the severe weather at the beginning of the month.
“It’s not lost on us that the short-term impact of the recent severe weather – where supermarkets ran out of food because lorries couldn’t get through – is leaving a longer-lasting legacy that exposes years of neglect from government and local authorities,” he continued. “Local roads must be included in any plans to improve the strategic road network.”
