Hansard

Scotland’s roads have suffered from chronic underfunding, which has allowed for the situation that many of us endure daily. Potholes are described as craters and our roads as resembling the surface of the moon.

Scotland’s roads are in crisis. The anecdotal evidence has been proven by experts. Confused.com found that Scotland has the worst potholes in the United Kingdom, and recent statistics suggest that more than a quarter of the country’s roads are in an unsatisfactory state. Between 2015 and 2017, almost 12,000 miles of those roads were either earmarked for inspection or required maintenance, with 423 potholes reported each day.

Millions are spent by local authorities to repair potholes, and £2 million has been paid out in compensation over the past 10 years. Indeed, compensation claims by motorists for damage that is caused by potholes alone have risen by 130 per cent between 2013 and 2017. This morning, I spoke to Sustrans Scotland, which told me that, in Edinburgh over the past 5 years, £111,000 has been paid out to road users, a staggering £66,000 of which was paid in compensation to cyclists.

Over the past seven years, funding to maintain Scotland’s roads has been cut by a fifth. A report from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities found that funding fell from £691 million in 2010-11 to £554 million last year. TRL—the transport research laboratory—found that every £1 reduction in spend on local roads maintenance could result in a cost of between £1.67 and £1.76 to the wider Scottish economy.

Potholes are our nemesis: they cause misery to our constituents and cost our local authorities millions. Undoubtedly, the beast from the east made things worse. The extreme weather has worsened the conditions of our roads, so much so that budgets for repairs will barely make an impact. We must acknowledge that, although local authorities try to combat the problem, it is now out of control.

The Scottish Borders region has some of the worst roads in Scotland and in the UK. My constituents agree with the Federation of Small Businesses when it says that run-down local roads hurt small businesses. A community group from Newcastleton said of the potholes:

“This is having a debilitating impact on our community with many now not attempting travel in the dark or even confident about leaving the village. There is real fear of risk, serious accident or injury being caused by driving”.

Having inherited a backlog of repairs, our current administration at Scottish Borders Council has set aside £22 million for roads and bridges over the next three years. With the recent additional £1.8 million of investment, a total of 32 Borders roads will be improved as part of a £2.6 million resurfacing programme this year. Despite that encouraging news, the fact remains that the Borders has a roads network of 3,000km and, with more than 900 potholes recorded last year alone, the increased investment will not go far enough.

That is true for all. Scotland’s local authorities have more than 150,000 potholes, and the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland has warned that funding cuts mean that it is not possible to repair each one, so the problem is very much real and impacts on us all. Despite efforts from local authorities, they alone simply cannot do enough to fix the roads.

However, the Scottish Conservatives have a plan—a means to support local authorities and help repair our roads. A pothole fund of £100 million over the next parliamentary session—£20 million a year—would support local authorities to fix our roads. That funding would mean that 2 million potholes would be repaired over the next session, which would be enough to fix current and future potholes. Local authorities would bid for the fund to support their own efforts on road repairs. That is action that Scottish people deserve. They want a road network that is fit for purpose.

Scotland needs action now to stop this troubling situation from becoming further exacerbated. A good road network will benefit us all. It will benefit motorists, because with pothole-free roads, motorists can drive in comfort and safety. It will help cyclists, because they will be able to ride in safety and not be at risk of puncture or of falling off due to unexpected terrain under their wheels. It will help local transport, because bus journeys will be made safer and smoother, and there will be less chance of something going wrong.

In a recent promotional video for the National Trust for Scotland, Sir Chris Hoy talked about how he hates potholes, but loves that Scots can be the best in the world. We can be the best in the world. For example, the Scot, John Loudon McAdam, was the inventor of the macadam road surface.

We could encourage more visitors to the area. Instead of looking out for potholes, visitors could look at the beautiful countryside. We want to make a good impression in Scotland, and one way to do that is by making our roads pothole free and safe.

I have people in my constituency who are in such despair that they have started to fill in their own potholes. Roads are so bad that they cannot drive to their own front door. It is not right that the situation is now so bad that members of the public have taken action into their own hands. The fund would give my constituents, and each member’s constituents, the roads and repair services that they deserve.

I reiterate that the Scottish Conservatives are offering real solutions, with a plan to introduce a pothole fund. It is a solution to fix our roads and fill in our 153,000-plus potholes. Scotland’s roads are in crisis. The roads in the Scottish Borders are in crisis. The Scottish National Party must focus on the day job and resolve the national shame that are Scotland’s roads.