It comes as data from Kent County Council reveals more than five and a half thousand holes were reported in the last three months of 2023. The authority says it is investing 50 million pounds into tackling the problem.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 We all hate a pothole and drivers across Kent will likely tell you there are more of them than ever.
00:07 And they might be right. The number of reports to Kent County Council has tripled in three years.
00:14 And the AA say they've been called out to more puncture repairs than ever.
00:20 They say it's so bad they're telling drivers now to avoid puddles altogether.
00:25 There are certain roads across the counties as well which are becoming hot spots.
00:30 And we're seeing a lot more tyre-related breakdowns, whether that's sidewall damage, cracked alloys as well.
00:39 And the only way to slow this down would be roads being repaired efficiently and to a better state really.
00:48 We were last on this road in Tenterton last summer. This is what it looks like today.
00:54 Some patch-ups have been carried out but potholes are forming again.
00:58 And that's angered local residents, especially cyclists.
01:02 There are potholes down the middle, there are potholes on the edge, there's metalwork.
01:07 And there's also the coming over the brow of the hill, traffic can't see us.
01:12 So it's incredibly dangerous. And just something needs to be done because there's going to be an accident here.
01:17 Last summer KCC said they had six extra teams repairing holes.
01:22 But today the man in charge of highways told us they couldn't get around to all of them because of how wet the summer was.
01:30 Potholes, are you happy with the state of Kent's roads as they stand currently?
01:34 I wouldn't describe myself as happy because I wouldn't want to be accused of gaslighting the residents of Kent who see potholes on a daily basis.
01:40 I think we've got to be fair. It's winter, we've got the gritters out, we're at a nine-year high of pothole reporting.
01:46 It's very cold, it's very wet. We've got the perfect conditions where it isn't the very worst.
01:50 So I'm not happy with the roads. I'm happy that we have people out there on a constant basis in all weathers reporting, acting upon the inquiries we get.
01:59 I want to see the roads better. They will get better. At the moment they're not where I'd like them.
02:03 KCC says they won't have access to central government funding till April.
02:08 But they are currently investing in new technology to repair highways quicker and for longer.
02:14 And it's no secret money is tight for councils across the country.
02:19 Well I think they are certainly under budget pressures.
02:23 But the government did announce last year in the budget an extra six million for funding for KCC.
02:29 And in the autumn statement there was a very grand claim that they were going to devote eight billion to improving potholes.
02:36 So I don't really think there's an excuse now. Money should be available to fix these big problems.
02:42 The winter so far has been fairly mild but today has seen snow showers falling across the county.
02:49 That's going to freeze potholes and possibly make them bigger.
02:54 Although emergency repairs are being carried out in the winter, the bulk of the winter damage won't be fixed till the weather becomes mild.
03:03 Gabriel Morris for KNTV.