Tuesday’s budget saw positive news for drivers and those working within the business fleet industry with the announcement that £420m will be given to local councils in order to fix the ever-growing issue of potholes across the country’s roads.
The £420m is in addition to the Pothole Action Fund of £296million announced previously – a figure which was thought to be enough to fix around 6million potholes.
We’ve blogged several times about the damage that potholes can cause to vehicles, with potholes being implicated in ever increasing numbers of accidents by the RAC. The AA also went so far as to state pothole related damage could be costing drivers and insures as much as £1million a month. From these figures alone, it is clear that investment on our roads is much needed.
Whilst the additional funding has been acknowledged as a positive step, some criticism has been levelled at the announcement as well. The Asphalt Industry Alliance criticise the fund as not enough – their estimates suggest £8billion would be needed to complete a full fix of the potholes on UK roads. Some other critics suggest it is too little too late and that further investment is needed to bring roads up to a better state, making future maintenance more manageable.
In addition to the fund to help fix potholes, the government also announced an additional £25.5billion to be spent on improving major roads between 2020-2025.
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It’s quick and easy to make a claim if you hit a pothole or have an accident on the road if you have an Anthony Jones car, commercial motor or fleet insurance policy. Our online claim form is simple to use and our dedicated claims teams will make things as straightforward as possible for you.
