Fixing potholes isn't enough for UK roads. As we are all aware the pothole is the truest expression of broken Britain. They are the symptom of years of austerity, underinvestment and political breakdown.
Accounting for inflation from 2006 to 2023, local authorities spending on 'routine maintenance' fell from 1.75 billion to 1.27 billion, a decrease of 27.3% (CEBR)
This fall is obviously no surprise given the economic history and political decisions made over the last two decades. Now 17 years later; under a labour government again, we can hope to see some change to our roads.
Unlikely.
You would be forgiven to think that this is a ramble against the political indecisiveness and lack of ambition we see in our leaders. It's not. Potholes are still not going to get better and its not due to the inadequacy of Keir Starmer's new government. Even if Rachel from accounts and the Department of Transport teamed up with Local Authorities to ‘Patch, Pave, Progress’, their efforts would be futile.
For the real issue is, there are too many vehicles.
The amount of vehicles on the road is slowly going up. Over the past 10 years the net increase of vehicles registered in the uk has been around 4.5 million (As of May 2024).(Gov)
Analysis from (Autocar) road tests shows that between 2016 and 2023 the mean average kerb weight of new cars rose from 1,553kg to 1,947kg. This can be put down to the popularity of the SUVs and transition to EV’s with heavier battery packs.
Couple both the increase in overall vehicles and the average increase in weight, it doesn't take a genius to see that the overall load on our already crumbling infrastructure is being pushed to its limits. The process of how a pothole forms in the first place is pretty straightforward, fatigue cracking of asphalt occurs due to an inadequate pavement structure. When the pavement layers are not strong or rigid enough to handle the traffic load, the pavement will bend under the pressure of vehicle wheels. This repeated stress at the bottom of the asphalt leads to the formation and spread of the fatigue cracks within the asphalt layers. These cracks often manifest as "alligator cracking," where the surface breaks into uneven, block-like sections. (Tensar)
Yes, we can ‘fix’ potholes. According to the 2022 ALARM survey, across the UK over 1.7 million potholes were filled the previous year – equivalent to one every 19 seconds. Overall, £107.4 million was spent filling holes in our roads in 2021/22 and the total spent over the last 10 years fixing potholes is more than £1.04 billion. (Tensar)
However; my thesis is, is that we are approaching the physical limit of the current infrastructure whereby we are in a perpetual loop; stuck, wasting councils budgets, central government spending and; within current fiscal rules, tax revenue.
The current trajectory in the automotive sector is the transition to EV’s and the reduction and limitations on the internal combustion engine. This transition does increase the overall average weight of vehicles on the road despite the other challenges it brings, such as charging infrastructure, energy usage/cost.
A lackluster attempt to transition all vehicles to EVs is not the solution to our very quintessentially British problem. It is a societal shift away from personal travel in general.
“So the Victoria line can carry 10 times more people an hour than a six lane motorway”
“Yes”
Aaron Bastani talking to Gareth Dennis about the capacity of rail.
One of the main solutions to our infrastructure security is a transition away from individual transportation and focusing more on our public transport. The amount of redundancy in a world of high vehicle ownership highlights the areas where we could make transportation more efficient. I’m sure when you drive, you only see one or two people in one car at any time.
As mentioned in an interview with Novara Media; Gareth Dennis, a Rail Engineer, discusses the fact that the rail network when used effectively can achieve a level of movement greater than our largest motorways.
Like how we looked at the data of how potholes form, the data speaks for itself when it comes to public transport. A two track railway at its upper limit has the ability to carry 70,000-80,000 people per hour per direction, says Dennis (Novara Media). The central route that links the west midlands to London is home to the busiest station outside of London, Birmingham New Street. Network rail states, with more than 170,000 passengers using it every day, New Street station helps connect the South West with Scotland and the North West with East Anglia. (Network Rail)
This is just rail, take for example Andy Burnham's success in taking back Manchester’s buses into public control. His lobbying over the Bee Network shows how we can improve mobility, which now covers more than 250 routes across Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and south Manchester, all for the price of £2.
If this was applied at a national level either in a devolved way like with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) or in a centrally-backed initiative from the government. Either way this would transform our society away from cars, and into well funded, affordable, publicly owned transport for all.
We have to ask ourselves, where do we want to go, and how do we get there? We have many options at our disposal however there is an unevenness in our right to mobility. Not everyone can afford a car, towns and cities are not equipped for cyclists, public transport is unreliable and expensive, congestion as a result of this creates gridlock and high emissions. Let’s not allow large vehicle manufacturers to convince us that we need more cars that have to be bigger and electric at some point, all for the purpose of boosting their profit margin. Let's instead focus on transferring capital and resources into mobility for all.
One thing we can all agree on though, we all hate potholes.
Works Cited
Autocar. “Average weight of new cars rises by nearly 400kg in seven years.” Autocar, 2 July 2024, https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/average-weight-new-cars-rises-nearly-400kg-seven-years. Accessed 22 January 2025.
CEBR. “The pothole crisis is costing £14.4 billion a year in economic damage in England alone.” 29 April 2024, https://cebr.com/blogs/the-pothole-crisis-is-costing-14-4-billion-a-year-in-economic-damage-in-england-alone/.
Gov. “Vehicle licensing statistics: January to March 2024.” GOV.UK, 24 July 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/vehicle-licensing-statistics-january-to-march-2024/vehicle-licensing-statistics-january-to-march-2024. Accessed 22 January 2025.
Network Rail. “Network Rail.” Central route, https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/central/.
Novara Media. “Trains Are BETTER Than Cars. Here's Why | Aaron Bastani Meets Gareth Dennis.” Youtube, Novara Media, https://youtu.be/M3afnfNQTu0?si=UMbYnAXSJx_7VxW4.
Tensar. “What Causes Potholes? (And How to Prevent Them).” Tensar, 29 August 2024, https://www.tensar.co.uk/resources/articles/what-causes-potholes. Accessed 22 January 2025.