Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to the RAC Foundation’s report on pothole compensation claims, said:

“This report highlights once again what a desperate state our local roads have got to under David Cameron.  This is costing motorists, but it also hits small businesses and is a danger to all road users, including cyclists and bikers.

“Almost 50,000 drivers made claims for damage caused to their vehicles by potholes in the last financial year alone.  Hard-pressed road users and businesses are justifiably sick and tired of having their vehicles damaged because of Britain’s pothole crisis.

“This Tory-led Government is all talk on what it is doing to improve our local roads.  Planned spending on local road maintenance in real terms will be less in 2020 than it was in 2010 and over 2,220 miles more of our local roads now need maintenance work compared to 2010. Road users have had enough of the Government’s failure to fix pothole Britain.”