Roads 'second worst in Scotland'

Lisa Hodge • Published 4 Aug 2010 14:00

INVERCLYDE'S pothole crisis has deepened after the area was exposed as having the second worst roads in Scotland.

The true state of Inverclyde's carriageways was laid bare in a new report which shows a whopping 44.1 percent - almost half - of all roads are classed as 'bad, or deteriorating'.

Of these, a shocking 13 per cent are classed as being in urgent need of repair.

The shock survey, carried out by The Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (Scots), comes just a few months after council chiefs forked out more than £750,000 on the Rhinopatch system to blitz the holes.

In June, when the system was first introduced, Councillor Robert Moran, who heads the council's safe, sustainable communities committee, vowed the massive cash boost would improve the roads and help beleaguered motorists.

But Scots say Scottish local authorities need to step in and do more to fill in the cracks.

A Scots spokesman said: "There is growing concern these vital and significant assets are not receiving the attention or funding required to maintain them in an optimal state."

The report shows Scotland's worst local roads are in Argyll and Bute, where the proportion requiring immediate repair increased from 12.2 per cent to 17.3 per cent last year.

Inverclyde comes in a second at 13 per cent, followed by East Dunbartonshire, with 11.7 per cent, and East Renfrewshire with 11.1 per cent.

North Ayrshire had the highest proportion of A roads in the red zone - 14.3 per cent - which is up 3.6 per cent.

Inverclyde Council hit back at the report, saying: "Although the average is 13.13 per cent for the road network in Inverclyde, the class A and B roads are in better condition than the Scottish average and the figure for class C roads is low.

"The unclassified roads distort the average figure. The Council will clearly focus its budget on the classified roads, which of course take the greatest amount of traffic."

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 04 Aug 10

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