- Almost 20 per cent of motorists would make a one off payment to fix country’s pot hole problem
- Figures based on recent web-based poll by Motorpoint, the UK’s leading independent car retailer
- Motorists spend over £4 billion annually according to Green Flag repairing pot hole damage to their cars
Almost 20 per cent of motorists would make a one off payment to the Government to fix the country’s pot hole problem according to a new survey by Motorpoint*.
The web-based poll from the UK’s leading independent car retailer found 18 per cent of drivers would pay over and above their Vehicle Excise Duty in order to raise the £9.79 billion required according to the Asphalt Industry Alliance to bring British roads up to scratch over the next decade. Based on the 32.9 million people who currently hold a UK driving licence this equates to a one-off payment of £239.
Britain’s ongoing pot hole problem was recently dubbed a “national scandal” by the Transport Select Committee who called on the Treasury to provide a “five year funding settlement so local authorities can address the road maintenance backlog.” Some 500,000 pot holes are reported annually by members of the public every year according to the RAC Foundation.
“Pot holes are not just a nuisance when driving but a genuine safety hazard for all road users,” explained Mark Carpenter, CEO of Motorpoint. “It’s encouraging to see from the poll that we conducted on our website that motorists support the idea of paying a one-off surcharge to address this real problem and repair our roads to a level where all motorists are able to drive on them safely and securely.”
*A total of 675 participated in the study earlier this month.