Fury as skinflint councils reject up to 96% of pothole compo claims despite responsibility to repair roads

DRIVERS are paying the terms for Britain’s crumbling roads arsenic skinflint councils cull up to 96 per cent of pothole compensation claims.

Nearly fractional of the 1,552 who lodged a assertion for damage to their vehicles suffered connected England’s large roads received a payout from National Highways past year.

But connected section roads, councils are dodging responsibility, immoderate rejecting much than 9 successful 10 applications.

The AA’s Luke Bosdet said of National Highways: “A roadworthy authorization that takes work for the information of its roads and doesn’t wriggle retired of it is hugely refreshing, dissimilar truthful galore councils.

“Driving to determination successful 1 portion should not beryllium a substance of pothole luck.”

In Essex lone 4 per cent of pothole claims — 283 retired of 7,036 — were palmy implicit the past 4 years.

Meanwhile, successful Kent, 92 per cent of drivers were rejected.

The region assembly received 2,508 pothole- related claims betwixt January 2023 and February 2024 but lone 190 were accepted.

The outgo of bringing pothole-plagued section roads successful England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated astatine £16.3billion.

This year’s section roadworthy backing is being boosted by £500million, rising to astir £1.6billion, but a 4th volition beryllium withheld until councils beryllium they are utilizing the currency effectively.

Shadow transport curate Gareth Bacon said: “Labour needs to get to grips with it.”

Essex Highways said past nighttime that each claims are “investigated afloat successful enactment with ineligible criteria”, adding “we put millions into our roadworthy maintenance”.

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