Dumfries and Galloway is in the midst of a “pothole catastrophe”.
South Scotland MSP Emma Harper says motorists are fed up at the state of the region’s roads, with the A710 linking Dalbeattie and Stewartry coastal communities particularly bad.
And she and local councillor Kim Lowe are now calling on the council to get a grip of the situation after a string of complaints from locals.
The SNP MSP said: “I’ve had a huge increase in the number of constituents contacting me regarding the pothole catastrophe in our region.
“While I know that the staff on the ground are working hard to address potholes, there is a lack of a coordinated approach and direct communication from the council.
“Quite frankly, constituents are reporting pot holes every day and are not witnessing action to address them. Constituents pay council tax and expect that the roads are properly maintained, which includes prioritising pothole repairs.
“In particular, I have been contacted by people using the A710 Dumfries to Dalbeattie road, regarding the terrible condition of the local roads.
“I completely agree that urgent road repairs are required.
“These roads are littered with sizeable damage-inflicting potholes and I know from constituent correspondence that these potholes have already caused hundreds of pounds of damage to cars.
“I am calling on Dumfries and Galloway Council to properly take action to address these potholes in the long term, to set out a fully costed plan to address potholes across the region, and to set out how they are measuring the effectiveness of the new pothole repair machine that has been purchased last year.”
Work was carried out on parts of the A710 this week but Abbey councillor Kim Lowe has concerns the repairs won’t hold.
She said: “I am contacted on a daily basis by residents about potholes on our local roads. The A710 route is particularly bad, with poor road edges and deep potholes on every stretch, but a particularly bad section is around New Abbey.
“Residents are experiencing burst tyres and dented wheels using our local roads and yet struggling to receive compensation from the Dumfries and Galloway Council. Cyclists have to physical ride in the middle of the road in places risking being in the route of oncoming vehicles.
“When repairs have been undertaken they just don’t last, and within days the surface is just as bad and occasionally worse.
“Patching is not cost effective and a programme of planned surfacing on all our roads needs to be in place as a matter of urgency.”
