COUNCILS across West Yorkshire have cut the amount of compensation paid out to aggrieved drivers over pothole damage.
Kirklees Council and the four other authorities have all slashed the amount of money paid out to drivers whose cars have been damaged.
And all have pledged to do more to repair the sorry state of the region’s roads after two bad winters.
A survey by the BBC revealed the drop in compensation payouts.
Kirklees Council reduced its compensation pay-outs from £64,133 in 2008-09 to £22,230 in 2010-11.
The council said that between December and February it repaired more than 3,500 potholes and was working “as quickly as physically possible” to repair 10,000 by the end of March.
The authority is to get an extra £500,000 from the Government to help with repairs but insists it will not be enough.
Leeds City Council reduced its pay-out bill from £1.63m in 2008 for highway maintenance to £408,848 by 2009.
Over the past three years Calderdale Council paid out the least in claims spending £76,076 between 2008-11.
Calderdale Council said in 2008-09 it paid out £33,268 for 39 claims, the following year 43 claimants received £19,857 between them and in 2010-11 £22,951 was paid out to 31 people.
Wakefield Council has also made a reduction in compensation pay-out reducing it by £271,04 between 2008-11.
In 2008-09 the council paid £365,090 to complainants but in 2010-11 it paid out just over £10,000.
Bradford Metropolitan District Council said it paid out £7,500 in compensation in 2009-10, a reduction of £51,200 from pay-outs in 2008-9.
