As the Chancellor vows to raise the funds allocated to fix the UK’s crumbling roads, a motoring expert has warned the figure is not enough to make a difference.
Some drivers have called for Labour to further increase the road repair fund to fix potholes. (Image: Getty)
A motoring expert has warned that the increased budget allocation for road repairs is still insufficient to remove the country’s potholes.
Whilst Labour’s first budget in 14 years saw several tax rises, including the vehicle excise duty (VED) rate on new cars, Chancellor Rachel Reeves highlighted that she would increase spending on pothole repairs by £500 million.
Chris Rosamond, Current Affairs and Features Editor for the motoring publication Auto Express welcomed the increase but warned it was not enough.
He explained: “Our post-budget poll shows drivers are highly cynical over the government’s promise to spend £500 million fixing a national pothole crisis – which the whole country knows requires billions of investment – with more than 80 percent saying the measure doesn’t go far enough.
“Hopefully, this feedback will reinforce the message to Chancellor Reeves that drivers feel overtaxed, overcharged and underrepresented when it comes to the issues that matter most to them.”
In the budget, Rachel Reeves added £500 million to the road repairs fund. (Image: Getty)
According to a survey conducted by Auto Express before the budget’s announcement, the growing number of potholes on the UK’s road network was the primary concern for drivers, with 72 percent of Brits wanting the Chancellor to keep the party’s election promise.
Whilst the amount set aside to repair the roads has increased, with the total figure now £1.6 billion, it is still significantly less than the £8.3 billion that Transport Secretary Louise Haigh previously stated in the pre-election campaign.
Up to 11.5 million potholes are believed to exist across the country. Repairing them would cost a significant amount of money, but it could save drivers and local councils money in the long run by lowering vehicles’ risk of damage.
While spending on potholes has divided drivers, Chris welcomed the move to freeze the fuel duty rate, which will prevent the cost of petrol and diesel from rising in 2025.
He added: “Rachel Reeves made a politically adept move to swerve the backlash that would have followed a hike in the rates of duty charged on petrol and diesel.
“Many drivers already see existing rates as totally excessive, and our letter to the Chancellor before the budget made clear our thoughts on why tightening the screws at the pumps would be unfair and hit the worst-off drivers hardest.”
