A plague on our roads

Call for Nats to invest and end current patch and run strategy' Other services take a hit as local authorities pay out claims

- PAUL HUTCHEON

COUNCILS have shelled out more than £4.2million in compensation to drivers for car-wrecking potholes.

The huge sum works out at nearly £70,000 a month in what critics say is an indictment of the state of Scotland's crumbling roads.

Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie, who uncovered the scandal, said: "For many years, the SNP have slashed funding for local authorities and left communities to muddle through. Despite payouts for potholes rising year on year, the SNP haven't shown any sign of changing course and finally supporting councils." Voters cite potholes as one of the top issues they want politicians to fix.

Motorists can claim redress if they provide details to their local authority of damage done to their vehicles, with the annual cost jumping from £676,932 in 2019-20 to £870,228 last year. Dumfries and Galloway Council paid out £326,000 in 2023-24 while Glasgow's bill came to almost £200,000.

The councils covering the Borders, Midlothian and South Lanarkshire all paid out more than £62,000.

The total bill over five years will be higher than £4.2million as a small number of councils did not provide figures.

Some councils have also recorded a spike in the number of recorded potholes over the same period.

There were 15,508 in Glasgow in 2019-20, but the number shot up to 21,451 last year. Dumfries and Galloway's pothole total rose from 10,824 to 19,810.