Environment

Britain's roads 'littered with potholes' despite record taxes

by liamssoft | June 4, 2008 at 05:45 am

497 views | 10 Recommendations | 12 comments

Staples Corner Barnet, London, Gower Street, Camden, London WC1E, Avenue Road London NW8 and Edgware Road Barnet, London, are just a few of the roads in the capital which need resurfacing....

The Government has allowed Britain's roads to fall into disrepair despite raking in record taxes from motorists, the president of the AA claimed.
Motorists pay more than £44 billion a year in various taxes, yet only £8 billion is spent on the entire transport network, including the railways.

The roads have become littered with potholes because of the under-investment, putting the lives of drivers and their passengers in danger, according to AA president Edmund King.

He said: "Britain's motorists are paying record levels of taxation yet receive poor value for money.

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agdobson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:52 on June 4th, 2008

liamssoft, I like this story. It's good stuff. The whole of Leeds needs doing too.

liamssoft

at 11:23 on June 4th, 2008

Many thanks for the GS agdobson, I found these pothole complaints on the Leeds FixMyStreet site; New problems

Pot Holes in Red Hall Lane

Claremont Rd Potholes

Older problems

Old problems, state unknown

Sunken Grate

Potholes

Road in bad condition

Winthorpe Street.

Poor state of road

Road repairs alongside kerbs

Dangerous hole

Uneven pavement, missing kerb, potholes

Road in poor condition

Stainbeck lane

Numerous potholes, road in very poor condition

Potholes on Church Street

nocklebeast

at 19:52 on June 4th, 2008

This photo shows a section of asphalt that was repaired after a very large pothole went un-repaired (and grew and grew) over a two year span on a newly paved road in Santa Cruz, California.

nocklebeast has contributed a photo to this story.

kendra daisy

at 20:53 on June 4th, 2008

This is a road leading to the headlands in Mendocino, CA. It has the most potholes I have ever seen!

kendra daisy has contributed a photo to this story.

movingtargetzine

at 21:29 on June 4th, 2008

Originally published here.

movingtargetzine has contributed a photo to this story.

krosinsky

at 22:48 on June 4th, 2008

This is a road of mostly potholes in Nairobi, Kenya. Most side roads seem to be in this state.

krosinsky has contributed a photo to this story.

Unlikely to Hesitate

at 08:50 on June 5th, 2008

We recently did a pothole art ride in Portland, Or, decorating the potholes and calling them into the city. They've since been filled in!

Unlikely to Hesitate has contributed a photo to this story.

retzer66

at 09:58 on June 5th, 2008

My pictures were taken in February 2008 along Archer Avenue next to Cog Hill golf course in Lemont, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. The pothole ruined the wheel of my VW. The road was repaired in May by state work crews.

retzer66 has contributed a photo to this story.

Beaulieu

at 11:41 on June 5th, 2008

Good story. There's a nasty one on Mile End Road too.

liamssoft

at 12:15 on June 5th, 2008

Many thanks. Mile End Road located in the borough of Tower Hamlets London E3.

Letterform

at 13:54 on June 5th, 2008

This not only would've been a disaster on our bikes but it could've easily eaten a tire from a car without a flinch. This photo was taken during a long bike trip through the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Letterform has contributed a photo to this story.

rossmcross

at 15:34 on June 12th, 2008

It's about time Boris Johnson realised that we don't all ponce around West London on bikes only when there's a Press photo session... Many of us do it on a daily basis (and doing so eases over-crowding on public transport). The fastest and most direct route is often along major roads (Red Routes, shared with buses).

The worst kept roads in London are the Red Routes which are 'maintained' by Transport For London.