Would you pay more tax to get potholes fixed?

Nearly one-fifth of British motorists would be prepared to pay yet more council tax if it meant the money was solely used to fix potholes and repair roads across the country, according to a new survey.

Road material manufacturer Roadmender Asphalt conducted what it calls is a ‘nationally representative’ study to ask people whether they would be happy to see their council tax bill increase by 10% if that money went towards increased road maintenance.

A blanket 10% increase across the board nationally would raise £2.5 billion, which would go a long way to fix roads that have deteriorated over the years and been neglected.

The growing number of potholes have been a particular scourge of the motorcyclist in recent years with riders being forced off their bikes or having to take dangerous sudden actions to avoid them. It has also been blamed by numerous motorcycle repairs and has had a major effect on rising insurance costs.

Last year as part of the government’s budget £500 million was pledged to fix potholes across the country but experts have said they don’t believe this is enough to cover the problem.

Moreover, the recent onset of COVID-19 means local authorities are facing financial turmoil with a recent report by the BBC revealing nearly 150 face effective bankruptcy with a combined shortfall of £3.2bn

According to the RAC, it met 1766 call outs during the coronavirus lockdown period due to vehicles that were damaged as a result of failing road surfaces.

The study also suggested that 65% no longer feel comfortable commuting to work on public transport, while 32% say commuting on roads is the most stressful part of their day in part because of the poor quality of the road.