Local authorities across the country are being accused of putting cyclists at risk by failing to meet their own target times to fix potholes and road defects.
New research, published by Cycling UK to mark the start of Pothole Watch Week, shows just over 10% of local authorities successfully fill all identified potholes within their target time.
The information, which was obtained via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to local authorities across the UK – to which 85 responded – also highlights differences between countries.
Approximately 17% of authorities in England met their targets – while not a single responding authority in Scotland or Wales achieved this.
However, the research also found that many councils are filling significantly more potholes than are reported to them by the public.
Cycling UK is calling on the Government to commit to a long-term funding strategy to help local authorities solve the ‘pothole crisis’.
Keir Gallagher, campaigns manager at Cycling UK, said: “While Boris Johnson talks about ‘levelling up’ the country’s infrastructure, the reality is that millions of miles of roads in the UK aren’t even fit for purpose in the first place.
“The reality is, local authorities cannot deal with this issue without a long-term funding commitment from the Government, enabling them to plan ahead as opposed to constantly trying to play catch-up with the ever-expanding pothole crisis.
“We’re also asking for everyone to play their part in helping get dangerous potholes repaired by reporting them to your local authority.”
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