Potholes 'painted over' by council with road markings

A council has been accused by residents of painting over potholes with white road markings, without repairing the road damage.

Jamie Lee Collins from Mold, Flintshire, said the road where he lives is in "terrible" condition and he has "memorised where every pothole is" on his commute to work.

He said he was worried about causing damage to his car, but that avoiding potholes on the road could also be dangerous.

Flintshire County Council said it had a "limited budget" for resurfacing the roads and that surveys are used to ensure resources are "directed to the roads in the worst condition".

"The road is terrible," said Collins.

"I just try to avoid them [the potholes] but you shouldn't have to because it's dangerous. If you don't, you'll break your car."

The 37-year-old, who said he was "handy with mechanics", said he had needed to change shock absorbers on his car because it was leaking oil. He said he also needed to change both rear shock absorbers on his partner's car.

"People are struggling for money and then have to take their car to the garage. I've spent hours doing repairs myself so I only have to pay for the parts," he said.

"I feel sorry for people who are struggling and have to pay for repairs."

Potholes have become a common complaint for many drivers across Wales, adding to car repair bills and even causing injuries to some passengers, cyclists or pedestrians.

The RAC estimates that a typical repair bill for a family car with damage worse than a puncture from a pothole is £590.

According to recent data obtained by the motoring group, Flintshire County Council paid 50% (82 out of 164) of compensation claims received from drivers for pothole damage.

Figures released earlier this year by Go.Compare found it typically takes Flintshire County Council 46 days to fix road defects.

Katie Wilby, the council's chief officer for street scene and transportation, said: "Routine safety inspections take place on all adopted roads in the county.

"During these inspections officers will determine whether any defects meet our invention criteria. This includes the condition of road markings, and repainting faded markings is important for safety.

"The county council has a limited budget for resurfacing, and conditions surveys are used to allow for resources to be directed to the roads in the worst condition.

"We do not have the resources required to resurface all roads prior to line remarking when re-lining works are needed."