One-fifth of Brits would pay more tax to fix potholes, survey claims

“Nationally representative” research claims 19% would pay a tenth more council tax to improve the roads and a third say potholes make driving more stressful

Nearly one-fifth of British motorists would be willing to stump up more council tax if the money was dedicated to road repairs, new research claims.

In a “nationally representative" survey commissioned by road material manufacturer Roadmender Asphalt, 19% of those who took part said they would support their council tax bill increasing by 10% in order to facilitate increased road maintenance. If that’s extrapolated across the whole of England, it could mean up to £2.5 billion of additional pothole funding.

Local authorities have come under increased financial strain. Last month, the BBC reported nearly 150 local authorities faced effective bankruptcy, with a combined budget shortfall of at least £3.2bn. Although the government pledged to invest £500 million a year over five years to tackle potholes, many industry figures say this isn’t enough to make up for years of underfunding.

The RAC says it received 1766 call-outs during the coronavirus lockdown due to vehicles being damaged by failing road surfaces.

Further statistics outlined in the new study claim that 65% of those surveyed would no longer feel comfortable commuting to work via public transport, and 32% claim driving is the most stressful part of their day due to the poor quality of local roads.

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