(Image: Jamie Lee Collins)
Last Updated: 3 minutes ago
A Flintshire man has hit out at his local council, claiming road markings are being painted directly over potholes rather than the damage being repaired first.
Jamie Lee Collins, 37, from Mold, told BBC Wales the road where he lives is so badly deteriorated that he has learned the location of every single pothole on his daily commute to work.
‘You’ll break your car’
“The road is terrible,” said Collins.
“I just try to avoid them [the potholes] but you shouldn’t have to because it’s dangerous. If you don’t, you’ll break your car.”
Collins, who described himself as “handy with mechanics”, said the state of the roads had already forced him to replace the shock absorbers on his own car after it began leaking oil. He said he has also had to change both rear shock absorbers on his partner’s vehicle.
“People are struggling for money and then have to take their car to the garage. I’ve spent hours doing repairs myself so I only have to pay for the parts,” he said.
“I feel sorry for people who are struggling and have to pay for repairs.”
The wider picture 🚗
Potholes remain a major source of frustration for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians across Wales, with repair costs adding up quickly. The RAC estimates a typical repair bill for pothole damage beyond a simple puncture comes to around £590 for a family car.
Data obtained by the motoring group found Flintshire County Council paid out on half of the compensation claims it received from drivers – settling 82 out of 164 cases. Separate figures from Go.Compare released earlier this year found it typically takes the council 46 days to fix road defects.
Council response
Katie Wilby, the council’s chief officer for street scene and transportation, said: “Routine safety inspections take place on all adopted roads in the county.
“During these inspections officers will determine whether any defects meet our invention criteria. This includes the condition of road markings, and repainting faded markings is important for safety.
“The county council has a limited budget for resurfacing, and conditions surveys are used to allow for resources to be directed to the roads in the worst condition.
“We do not have the resources required to resurface all roads prior to line remarking when re-lining works are needed.”
