Despite potholes being a recurring issue for motorists in Swindon, recent data has revealed that the town isn't in the top 10 worst affected areas.
The Department for Transport data, which was analysed by car check experts Motorscan, looked at road condition statistics for every English local authority between 2018-2023 to determine which places suffer the most from potholes.
Despite Swindon Borough Council admitting last month that it 'doesn't have the money' to fix all of the town's potholes properly, it was Southend-on-Sea which came out on top, and not Swindon.
Southend-on-Sea in Essex was found to have 24.6 per cent of B and C roads requiring maintenance between 2018 and 2023, compared to just 3.9 per cent in Swindon.
In 2023 specifically, only two per cent of Swindon's A roads and motorways, and four per cent of Swindon's B and C roads were classed as needing maintenance, according to the Department for Transport.
Areas which featured in the top 10 list of pothole-ridden places alongside Southend-on-Sea include Derbyshire, Hackney, Derby, Newham, Lambeth, Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, Shropshire, and Liverpool.
Although Swindon doesn't appear in the top 10 list of pot-hole ridden places, many locals believe that the town's potholes are a 'death-trap' and 'hindering road users'.
In March this year, it was revealed that drivers could be fined up to £2,500 if their attempts to avoid potholes are seen as driving without due care and attention.
Yet many motorists who use the A420 near Watchfield have reported having to swerve on to the other side of the road to avoid losing a tyre.
Sue Howe of Sue’s Driving School previously told the Adver: “On the road near the Patriot Arms, the truck rattles about so much, it’s horrendous. I’ve had to replace two springs on the lorries, which are designed for flat, smooth tarmac.
“The learners have to keep at a certain speed because it’s part of the test, but every time they approach a pothole, they have to slow down to five miles an hour or risk damaging the lorry.”
According to Swindon Borough Council, for a pothole to be considered a safety defect it must be at least 40mm deep in the road surface.
"As our budget is limited, we risk assess and prioritise repairs as follows. Potholes that pose a very high level of safety risk are completed within 24 hours," said a spokesperson for the council.
"We aim to complete all pothole repairs within 10 working days, with the majority completed within five working days.
"Other defects may be programmed for a longer period of repair of up to six weeks."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel