The pitiful state of the roads

[Wildfisher]

Honestly, the state of our national rod network is a disgrace. Potholes within potholes.

Now you can bump along in your car and think it's bad, but to get a real feel for the parlous state of the road surface you really have to get out on a bike. What the hell is going on?

We can't blame privatisation for this can we, the roads are all owned and maintained by local government.

No wonder people drive gas guzzler SUVs.
 

[burnie]

There's a lot of road works around Perth, but little in Angus

[Bobfly]

Not long home from a week pet sitting in Edinburgh and the reports of how bad it is there are very true indeed.

Made worse by the cycle lanes devised during Covid that are now a serious constriction, along with yet more tram works along the previously ripped up sections to Leith.

[Fishtales]

The answer is money. The road tax is gathered by the UK Government and then handed out pro-rata to the various authorities. Most of it goes to the SE of England, more cars and more roads, and decreases as it makes its way north.

https://www.racfoundation.org/motoring-faqs/economics#:~:text=It%20had%20remained%20around%20the,duties%20collected%20in%20the%20UK.

[Wildfisher]

I don't fully buy into that as the reason Sandy. There are far fewer cars and miles of road up here so the budget is bound to be smaller. True the weather up here is worse but the traffic is lighter.

[burnie]

Angus council have a contract with "Bodgeit and Scarper", rarely get a proper job done.

[Fishtales]

I don't fully buy into that as the reason Sandy. There are far fewer cars and miles of road up here so the budget is bound to be smaller. True the weather up here is worse but the traffic is lighter.

That is how it works. Less cars less road tax so less money given to fix the roads.

[Wildfisher]

You really have to get out on a bike to see how bad the roads are. They are covered in small cracks you don't notice in a car but these cracks fill with  water which freezes and expands then a new pothole is born.

[Bobfly]

There are many comments about road wear rates rising with electric cars and their considerable extra weight. Same reason for particulates being similarly high from extra brake and tyre wear. Unfortunately there is not a licence income!

[Fishtales]

The 40+ ton six axle artics don't help. Eleven tyres bouncing in a hole do more damage than the two on a car no matter what weight it is.