Doncaster MP Ed Miliband welcomes £6,733,000 investment to fix pothole plague in South Yorkshire

This comes in the form up to £6,733,000 to boost to repair roads and fix potholes in South Yorkshire, as part of a record national £1.6 billion investment to repair road networks in England.

The landmark investment – an increase of nearly 50 per cent on local road maintenance funding from last year – goes well beyond the Government’s manifesto pledge and is enough to fix the equivalent of over seven million extra potholes nationally in 2025/26.

Across England, local highways authorities will receive a 40 per cent uplift in funding on average as the Government looks to rebuild Britain as part of its Plan for Change. Fixing our roads and filling potholes not only makes roads safer, but they also improve journey times and save drivers money from avoidable repairs.

It comes as figures from the RAC show drivers in Doncaster the cost of pothole damage to vehicles is around £500 on average a year, with more severe repairs costing considerably more. According to the AA, fixing potholes is a priority for 96 per cent of drivers.

The public is also being encouraged to report potholes in through a dedicated Gov.uk page: https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole.

Labour’s approach is in stark contrast to the Tories’. Under the last Government, damage to cars cost drivers almost £500m and car insurance went up by more than £200 on average in just two years.

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, Labour froze fuel duty at current levels for another year at the last budget, saving the average car driver £59.

This Labour Government is delivering its Plan for Change with investment and reform to deliver growth, improving living standards in Doncaster and across the country by putting more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain.

Mr Miliband said: “Drivers have been plagued by potholes for too long, after 14 long years of Tory neglect. Under the Conservatives the situation spiralled out of control, with pothole damage costing drivers almost £500 million. I am delighted that this Labour Government is doing things differently and taking swift action to fix our roads.

“Journeys in Doncaster will be made safer, quicker, and cheaper for drivers with this transformative investment. This announcement goes well beyond the promises we made in our manifesto at the election and shows that we’re serious about our Plan for Change.

“Fixing potholes in Doncaster is just another way in which this government is rebuilding Britain.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Potholes have plagued motorists for far too long, but this record investment will start to reverse a decade of decline on our country’s roads.

“Too many drivers have to endure an obstacle course when on the roads – whether that’s to go to work, pick up children from school, or see friends. Potholes damage cars and make pedestrians and cyclists less safe. We are investing £1.6bn to fix up to seven million more potholes next year.

“This government is firmly on the side of drivers. Every area of England will get extra cash to tackle this problem once and for all. We have gone beyond our manifesto commitment to back motorists and help raise living standards in every part of the country.”