There are four times fewer potholes on Bristol’s roads than there were ten years ago, council chiefs have claimed. And the number of other ‘defects’ on the roads has also more than halved in the decade since 2012, the council have said.
Council bosses said they have put more investment into fixing the roads, after ‘decades of under-investment’ and cuts from central Government. And the council said they also have a new weapon in the battle with the bad condition of the roads in the city - a high-tech car filled with sensors that can map the condition of a road surface and report back what needs doing where.
Bristol City Council said that in 2012-13, the number of total defects on the roads of the city stood at 13,852, of which 6,556 were potholes that needed filling in. New figures released by Bristol City Council proclaim a big success in tackling a backlog of potholes and defects on the city’s roads.
Read more: Bristol's pothole problem and where the city's worst offender looms
That had been more than halved by 2017-18, with 3,100 outstanding potholes. And the latest figures for 2021-22 show that the total number of potholes the council said need sorting out is down to 1,838 - almost a quarter of where it was ten years ago.
Potholes now make up less than a third of the ‘total defects’ - it was almost half in 2012 - and the total number of defects on the roads that need fixing has also dropped by more than half, from 13,852 in 2012-13 to 5,479 now.
The city council inspects and maintains around 750 miles of roads and 1,370 miles of footpaths in Bristol - every road apart from the M32, the M5, M49 and a bit of the A4 at Avonmouth, which are the responsibility of Highways England.
Since 2020, the city council has hired Gaist, a specialist surveying company, who drive a high-tech car around. It’s fitted with a 360 degree, high definition camera that films the road surface and feeds back potholes and defects to the council.
“Making sure our roads are safe and fit for purpose is really important for all users,” said Cllr Don Alexander, the council’s transport boss. “It prevents accidents and makes journeys much easier and more pleasant, whether walking, cycling or driving. It also shows that we invest in and take good care of our city.
“The innovative way we carry out our road inspections allows us to quickly evaluate defects across the network, to prioritise repairs, work efficiently, and ensure the safety of our inspectors. It also helps us gather evidence and defend the council if we get any insurance claims for damage to vehicles thought to be caused by problems on our roads.
“Thankfully the number of claims against us are falling, and, with the help of evidence from our inspections, in the last year we’ve successfully defended 94 per cent of these claims, which saves taxpayers’ money and shows we are keeping our roads in good order.
“I’m really proud of our results, which is down to a strong team and good management. There’s always room for improvement, as we will never be able to get to every pothole and road defect by the time others start to appear, but the numbers are going down year-on-year, so we’re heading in the right direction,” he added.
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