Leader: Pothole problem is not going away

Feb 26 2010 by Joanne Douglas, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE problem of potholes is something which does not seem to be going away.

Thousands of potholes have already been filled in – but the number of damaged cars has also increased because of them.

It has been estimated that around 6,000 potholes have been filled in so far since the winter weather did its worst to the roads.

It has forced Kirklees Council to spend £4.1million on repairing the roads following the cold snap over Christmas and the New Year.

But the town’s roads are still littered with potholes and car dealerships are seeing more cars damaged as a result.

It’s all well and good the council saying the extreme weather has caused untold problems, but the borough’s roads have been something of a contentious issue for some time now.

Roads being dug for works and potholes being filled and re-filled have left some roads looking like a patch-work quilt, making driving uncomfortable and often difficult too.

Roads are a major part of our town’s infrastructure, so by improving the roads, it should follow that there will be a reduction in compensation paid out to people whose vehicles have been damaged on them.

Of course, we have to do our bit too and report problem potholes straight away, but it begs the question of whether better road maintenance is needed to start off with?