Drivers fuming at unfilled potholes can now see how their local councils are doing at addressing the bumpy roads.
The Government has released a red, amber and green traffic light system revealing which local highway authorities (LHA) are lagging behind the rest of the country.
The colors grade each area on the current condition of their roads and how effectively they are spending road maintenance funding.
While a majority of councils were ranked amber, significant swathes of the UK were flagged as red, indicating significant concerns.
‘Red’ councils were assessed as below expected standards in one or several areas and will receive £300,000 worth of planning and capability assistance.
The Department for Transport said ‘green’ councils – such as Leeds, Mancheser and Lewisham – were following best practices by investing in long-term preventive measures and not just pathing up potholes.
‘Amber’ ranked LHAs showed some of these qualities, but with room for improvement in individual areas.
In last year’s budget, the government committed a total of £7.3billion for local road maintenance funding for four years.
The government had already pledged an extra £500 million in the current financial year, but withheld a quarter of it until councils had outlined their spending plans.
How does each council rank?
The worst offending councils outside of London are Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, Bolton, Derbyshire, North Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, West Northamptonshire, Bedford, Slough and Suffolk.
Three London councils – Waltham Forest, Kensington and Chelsea and Greenwich – were also scored red.
Transport for London was given an overall rating of amber.
The most effective London councils – ranked green – were Lewisham and Hillingdon.
The green LHAs outside the capital are Middlesbrough, Darlington, Leeds, Wigan, Manchester, Rotherham, Sandwell, Coventry, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, West Berkshire, Portsmouth and Essex.
All other councils were ranked amber by the Department for Transport.
The data was released days after a mega pothole burst the tyres of 14 cars in one evening on a motorway slip road in Hampshire, which is rated amber.
The hole left vehicles with severe damage and led to a buildup of traffic on the A303.
Latest London news
The RAC estimates a typical repair bill for a family car which has suffered pothole damage beyond a puncture is £590.
These pothole-caused faults can include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said drivers had paid the price for poor road maintenance for ‘far too long’.
She added: ‘We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.
‘Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.’
Tory transport spokesman Richard Holden MP said: ‘It is refreshing to have labor ministers laying bare just how badly labor-run councils handle basic road repairs.
‘If you live in Bolton, Waltham Forest, Greenwich or any other labor council up for election, this map is a warning label.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Discover more from USNewsRank
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.