The number of breakdowns due to potholes hit record levels this year according to the RAC.
Data from the British automotive services company claims 29,139 drivers broke down due to potholes from October 1 2022 to September 30 2023.
Last year, data collected by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) through Freedom of Information requests showed that in Greater Manchester, Stockport had more complaints registered than anywhere else in the 2021-2022 financial year, while Manchester received the most legal claims over potholes.
We spoke to people in Manchester about the state of the roads.
Data from the British automotive services company claims 29,139 drivers broke down due to potholes from October 1 2022 to September 30 2023.
Last year, data collected by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) through Freedom of Information requests showed that in Greater Manchester, Stockport had more complaints registered than anywhere else in the 2021-2022 financial year, while Manchester received the most legal claims over potholes.
We spoke to people in Manchester about the state of the roads.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 The number of breakdowns due to potholes hit record levels this year, according to the RAC.
00:05 Data from the British Automotive Services Company claims 29,139 drivers broke down due to potholes
00:13 from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023. Last year, data collected by the Federation
00:20 of Small Businesses through Freedom of Information requests showed that in Greater
00:24 Manchester, Stockport had more complaints registered than anywhere else in the 2021-2022
00:31 financial year, while Manchester received the most legal claims over potholes.
00:35 We spoke to people in Manchester about the state of the roads.
00:39 "Absolute rubbish. It's unbelievable. I don't know how my car's still on the road,
00:43 because some of the things, I've only got a little car, and it really, sometimes I think
00:47 it's going to go, because it's such a bang. And bad enough with the, what's it called,
00:51 the sleeping policeman, them bumps are horrendous as well. I know they're there for a reason, but
00:57 no, it ruins your car, just ruins your car. It needs to have a lot more money. Something
01:02 drastic needs to be done now, really. It's that bad."
01:06 "I think they're appalling. I think they definitely need a lot of repair. It's just,
01:09 it's everywhere you go. It's locally where I live, you know, we get it from the traffic that goes to
01:15 where we live. And also, even as far as out to Cheshire, it seems to be everywhere when you go
01:20 out, you've got to look what you're doing and hopefully avoid them. We've been fortunate,
01:26 but sometimes, you know, it's a puddle, you don't actually know what's actually under the puddle,
01:29 so it's like worth avoiding stuff like that. I mean, sometimes they put rings round,
01:34 but a lot of the time they don't. I know there's lots of other things the government have to
01:38 invest in, but there needs to be more investment."
01:40 "Well, I don't really know Greater Manchester that well, you know, but coming up yesterday
01:46 on the motorway, I did hit several potholes. So the road surfaces in general aren't good,
01:52 and it's very dangerous when you're on a motorway because you can't swerve.
01:56 If you're going down a smaller road, you know, going lower mileage, lower speed, you can. So,
02:02 yeah, worrying."
02:04 "Have you noticed an increase do you think this year?"
02:06 "Yes, most definitely, yeah. And they come round and they mark them, and they fill them,
02:12 but the filling doesn't stay. So you sort of ask yourself, must be a lot of money to be doing
02:18 that. Why can't they fix it properly? I mean, they're dangerous. I mean, they must threaten
02:22 lives. I mean, I cycle as well, so I mean, cycling is an absolute nightmare with these potholes.
02:27 I know people who have hit potholes and have been quite badly injured, you know, brakes and, yeah."
02:34 "My daughter works in Manchester. She drives in every day, and at the moment,
02:40 she's actually got one of her tyres at my house waiting for it to be repaired because that's what
02:45 happens all the time with potholes. The potholes are so bad that they often damage your tyres,
02:50 so she's waiting for new tyres again. I mean, we pay a lot for road tax, don't we? So they ought
02:55 to be using that money."
02:56 "Should be a priority, shouldn't it?"
02:58 "Absolutely, yeah, because it's dangerous for cyclists and things, isn't it?"