In excess of 650,000 – that’s how many potholes UK road users are likely to have to contend with by 2030 if the government does not pour in the promised annual amount of £500 million to address the problem. Currently the figure already stands at 560,836 potholes across the country.
The 10-year approximation was revealed today (February 20) by Zurich UK, which tapped economics consultancy Cebr to examine multiple factors that contribute to the number such as traffic levels, weather conditions, government funding, and historical volumes of potholes.
It was found that in London alone, the pothole count a decade from now could top 23,000 in the absence of government investment.
“Potholes are the symptom of a much wider and deep-rooted issue,” said Zurich UK’s public services head Rod Penman. “It’s been getting worse simply because government funding and council resources have not been sufficient enough to cope with the magnitude of the issue.
“Across the board, councils will have lost almost 60p in every £1 of central government funding in the last decade, creating an unsustainable gap in their funding.”
Penman added: “This isn’t just about drivers and burst tyres. Potholes create far-reaching effects for pedestrians and cyclists who are most likely to incur the worst injuries. We welcome the government pledge to invest in this problem, however with our research suggesting potholes will increase without it, there’s still a lot to do.”
According to the insurer, we could see nearly £9 billion of government funding invested in British roads by 2030. In Zurich UK’s view though, even ambitious spending plans would not be enough if there was a lack of effective risk management.
“Whether or not the increased government investment comes to fruition, potholes are going to remain a significant issue and it’s crucial that highway authorities take a strong risk-based approach to road maintenance services,” stated Penman.
“Implementing the requirements of the Code of Practice and continuing the efforts to use their money as effectively as possible will be vital in order to drive further value from the government’s investment. As a business, we are well equipped to assist and advise these authorities of the best ways to do this, linking into the bespoke data that we hold, our risk specialists, and potential external partners.”
The insurance executive said Zurich UK wants to help every local authority spend its money in the most effective way to put the lid on the pothole problem.