Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads, has celebrated National Pothole Day by visiting the JCB Power Systems factory in Derbyshire.
Greenwood, who is also the Labour MP for Nottingham South, met with local leaders to discuss a plan for the county’s pothole crisis. She stated that £1.6 billion will be invested in fixing potholes across England next year, including £75 million for the East Midlands area.
The funding would be used to fix 7 million potholes across the country, as well as for general maintenance and preventative measures. It comes alongside the Government’s “Plan for Change”, which aims to create safer, smoother journeys that reduces delays and saves money for drivers.
During the visit, Greenwood was also given a demonstration of the JCB Pothole Pro, which can perform a repair in eight minutes. JCB says each repair costs £30 – half the amount of traditional methods. The machine is currently being used by 20 local authorities.
Speaking about the funding, Greenwood said: “It’s really important that we make best use of that funding, and local authorities look at what new technologies and innovations they can adopt to make sure they can fix as many potholes in a permanent way.
“One of the things people get really frustrated about is that a pothole gets fixed and then it’s in the same state a few months later, so it’s really important that local authorities are looking at new innovations and equipment.
“JCB’s Pothole Pro is one of the many great examples of using new technology to repair potholes faster and demonstrates how companies are harnessing new technology to repair potholes faster.”
Read more about the latest road safety news on the Anglo Liners blog every week. Alternatively, click here to get a free road marking quote.