RAC patrols lead call for more maintenance cash

RAC patrolmen are unhappy about the state of the country's roads.



A survey of RAC drivers found that 89% of them feel that current road conditions show the effects of underinvestment in road repairs.

Three quarters of patrols think that the condition of rural roads is poor or very poor  and two-thirds think this of suburban roads

Only 2% said rural roads are in good condition while 71% said that the quality of short term road fixes since last winter has been inadequate compared with 45% who said the same of long term road fixes.



RAC spokesman John Franklin said: “We’ve had an unseasonably warm autumn which is good news for motorists and for road repairs, however the more typical cold weather appears to be arriving now.

"Roads that have not been repaired in time will increase the extent of the network that is damaged, and even previously unaffected stretches of carriageway can be affected.

“Councils are doing the best they can with the resources available, but the fact is that reduced budgets can only stretch so far.

|That our patrols are reporting rural roads in poor and even dangerous condition and damage to their vehicles caused by potholes this close to winter is a worry. Roads are an essential lifeline to people, particularly in rural areas, and need to be maintained to a decent standard.

"The government must seriously consider the consequences of reduced funding allocations to road maintenance.”