Fears £500m fund ‘not enough’ to repair 11.5 million potholes

An automobile expert warned that increasing budget allocations for road repairs is still relevant. not enough to remove pits of the country.

While Labour’s first Budget in 14 years included several tax rises, including the rate of excise duty (VED) on new cars, Chancellor Rachel Reeves stressed she would increase spending on pothole repairs by £500 million.

Chris Rosamond, current events and features editor for the automotive publication Auto Express welcomed the increase but warned it was not enough.

He explained: “Our poll, carried out since the Budget, shows drivers are very cynical about the Government’s promise to spend £500 million to tackle the national pothole crisis, which the whole country knows requires billions of investment, with more than 80 per cent saying that this measure does not help.” go far enough.

“We hope this feedback reinforces the message to Chancellor Reeves that drivers feel overwhelmed, overwhelmed and underrepresented when it comes to the issues that matter most to them.”

The growing number of potholes on the UK road network was a major concern for drivers, with 72 per cent of Britons wanting the Chancellor to keep his party’s election promise, according to a poll carried out by Auto Express ahead of the Budget announcement.

Although the amount allocated for road repairs has increased to £1.6 billion, it is still significantly less than the £8.3 billion previously announced by Transport Secretary Louise Hay during the election campaign.

It is estimated that there are up to 11.5 million potholes across the country. Repairing them will cost a significant amount of money, but in the long term it could save drivers and local councils money by reducing the risk of damage to vehicles.

While the cost of potholes has divided drivers, Chris welcomed the decision to freeze the fuel tax rate, which will prevent the cost of petrol and diesel from rising in 2025.

He added: “Rachel Reeves has taken a politically smart step to mitigate the backlash that could arise from the rise in duty rates on petrol and diesel.

“Many drivers already believe the current rates are completely excessive and our letter to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget clarified our thinking about why tightening the screws on pumps would be unfair and would hit the poorest drivers the hardest.”