Potholes Are a Major Election Issue in the UK

The local roads’ condition is the most important election issue of the British motorists, as shown by RAC Foundation Study.

The survey, conducted before the general local election was called, indicates that 77 percent of the British people consider potholes as being a major issue in their residence area. It also shows that the nation’s level of dissatisfaction with road maintenance is currently at 52 percent, the highest level for a decade.

"This starkly underlines the huge inconvenience potholes are causing the majority of the Great British public and leaves would-be politicians in no doubt of where voters – no matter what their political persuasion - think the next Government’s transport priorities should lie,” said Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation.

“The attention repeatedly focused on high speed rail misses the reality of most people’s lives which is that 92% of all passenger journeys take place on the roads. The road network is a vital utility and is essential to the economic and social wellbeing of the nation. It should be treated as such,” Glaister explained.

“In 2007 1.8 million people signed a petition calling on Tony Blair not to introduce road pricing, and eventually the Government dumped the idea. Too often, this country’s 35 million car drivers are taken for granted by the politicians and most of the time they are the silent majority, but when they do speak they change public policy. Those who want to be our elected representatives ignore motorists’ views at their peril,” he added.