A first-of-its-kind audit into the mapping of potholes in England has been launched today (28 August 2020) by the UK Department for Transport (DfT).
Aided by data from on-road businesses, the review aims to better target road improvements as people return to work and school.
The DfT will work with Gaist, a highway data and mapping company, on-road businesses such as Deliveroo, Uber, Tesco and Ocado, alongside local highway authorities to identify pothole hot-spots.
Combining collated data on current potholes held by nationwide businesses and a bank of roads imagery in the country from Gaist, the DfT said it will be able to paint “the most comprehensive picture ever” of where funding is most needed.
The launch of the review comes as new data reveals that highway maintenance works undertaken in the past months, when roads were quieter during lockdown, has led to 319 miles of resurfacing.
UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “I want our roads to be as safe as possible, so during the lockdown we’ve resurfaced hundreds of miles of road.
“But now I want to go further by identifying critical potholes and ensuring these are fixed as quickly as possible.
“We’re teaming up with delivery companies, who know the roads well, in order to map out where remaining potholes exist and then relentlessly target them with our record £2.5bn pothole repair fund.”
Since 2010, the UK government has provided over £1.2bn to help repair potholes on the local highway network, including £500m from the £2.5bn announced in the Budget earlier this year.
