Many of Scotland’s roads ‘no better than third world’
A lack of safety markings on roads put drivers at risk. Picture: Jayne Wright
ROADS in parts of Scotland are no better than those in third-world countries, a business leader has claimed, after it emerged more than a third of the local authority road network was in a poor state of repair.
The condition of Scotland’s roads were branded a “national disgrace” by Labour MSP Richard Baker, after a survey from council transport bosses revealed about 62 per cent of the roads run by local authorities were classed as being in a “good condition”, with the remainder falling short of acceptable standards.
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) issued a stark warning that it would take a “massive amount of money and time” to get the country’s roads back into a good condition.
The survey, published by the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, did not reveal the state of roads for specific local authority areas, on the grounds it was “not practical” to do so.
Figures for 2010-11 and part of 2011-12, which are largely unchanged since 2007, showed a similar level of roads in poor condition across areas classed as cities, rural, semi-urban, semi-rural and the islands. However, the authors of the report insisted there had been a “small improvement after some years of deterioration”.
The maintenance backlog for local council roads was reported to be £1.54 billion by public sector watchdog Audit Scotland in its most recent report.
Iain McMillan, director of business group CBI Scotland, called on councils to give a much greater priority to improving the country’s roads.
He said: “The importance of having a well-developed transport infrastructure that is maintained and in good condition cannot be understated.
“Some of the roads in Scotland’s local authorities are in such a bad state of repair that they resemble some roads in the third-world countries.
“Local authorities should be giving much greater priority to the repair and maintenance of that infrastructure.”
The row comes as SNP ministers and Cosla hold a national review into the state and funding of Scotland’s roads. A Cosla spokesman said: “The state of Scotland’s roads is a long-term problem that requires a long-term funding solution. But there is no quick fix or silver bullet, as the money we have is affected by the whole public sector squeeze.
“It would take a massive amount of money and time to properly repair some roads.”
Mr Baker, Scottish Labour’s infrastructure spokesman, issued a stark warning that the poor condition of roads could lead to more deaths, as he criticised the decision not to publish individual breakdowns for council areas.
He said: “These figures will not be surprising to most drivers who have to put up with appalling road conditions. But it is still deeply concerning and the fear is that, if roads are allowed to fall apart, it increases the risk of fatalities.
“I understand that in the past, breakdowns for each local area have been published, so it’s disappointing that this appears not to have happened this year, as local authority roads are paid for by public money.”
But the transport directors’ report said “because only 10 per cent of unclassified roads are surveyed each year, results can and do fluctuate from year to year”.
RAC spokesman John Franklin said: “Roads are the lifeblood of any country and the obvious implications of a poor roads network is that people are not able to get around, with a harmful affect on the economy and the potential risk to safety.”
The Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland agency said ministers had provided additional funding that could be used by councils to improve roads.
A spokesman said: “The recent decision to allocate additional resources for transport is further evidence of the significant support that we provide for local authorities that gives them flexibility to allocate resources to road improvements based on local needs and priorities and, for the first time, keep any efficiency savings to re-invest in services.”
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Comments
There are 215 comments to this article
Page 1 of 15
Jolly
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:38 AMThere is no comparison between the 3rd World and Scotland, but the comment is a typical eye-grabbing hysterical piece of trite journalism
Tarheel Chief
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 01:45 AMFew if any Scots want to see outsiders. The sheep manage without highways and in most parts of the Highlands appear to be doing quite well at their steady pace. If you improve the transit system you need not maintain this fiction of more roadways.Switzerland gets along with efficient and well run rail.
duelaynomore
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 01:34 AMHello No 150. Comparisons of Glasgow with Dubai are quite prophetic. Dubai has vitually no oil, and is constantly bailed out by Abu Dhabi..which does. Yes it grew to fast, and effectively went bust, then had to be bailed out by a neighbour. It spent more than it earned for a decade and hoped that real estate spending would solve its problems. Current account defict = profligate government spending...is this what you want for Glasgow.? By the way have you seen how 70% of the actual population live in Dubai? Only 16% are Emirates, there's about 10 % real expats in some form of comfort, but the vast army of Pakistanis,indians,africans etc.. who build and clean the dust off the streets, lives very humbly indeed..with virtually no rights on anything. If this is the progress you have in mind for Glasgow, can I please be in the ruling class, not the underclass.
rider000
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 12:28 PM210 Cagey This means that Scotland helped fund HS1 with nothing coming back. Now give a similar example for Scotland. You have all night to find one. Good night!........... HS1 does run North and when it gets as far North as Leeds it'll help cut journey time to Birmingham, London and other European cities from any location North of Leeds, so there is a benefit and if Scotland wants to fund a HS link to Edinburgh post 2016 then it'll be one long HS line as far as Frankfurt.
Billy Boy
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 01:56 AMThis is rather amusing, I currently live in California but I often travel to Southern Mexico. "I'm not sure where Mexico is in the world numbers system, 1st,2nd.3rd etc", I also come home frequently (Dundee), The road system here in Los Angeles is as bad as I have ever seen ANYWHERE i have ever lived. In places, there are huge traffic jams because of potholes. I have always thought that the road system in the UK was quite good although, in Mexico, the roads are in amazingly good condition, not only well maintained but beautifully landscaped!
Cagey
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:30 PM209 the answer - Do you know how it works? The whole of the UK sends their taxes to London. Some functions are devolved for example transport. Whatever is spent in England a percentage is allocated to the Scottish Government budget unless it is classified as a national project like HS1. This means no money comes back to Scotland as per the link I provided. This means that Scotland helped fund HS1 with nothing coming back. Now give a similar example for Scotland. You have all night to find one. Good night!
.The Answer
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:23 PMNow we come to HS1, again provide a link about scotlands funding contribution to HS1, we both know you cant. .........3 out of 3 of you suppossed 'national projects' funded by scots have just been exposed as nothing more than a typical scottish fantasy ... do close the door and switch out the lights as you leave the room.
Cagey
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:20 PM205 - You said that last time and were proven wrong. You will have to wait for this one however as it is too late. You have failed completely to give one UK national project based in Scotland. Have a nice evening.
.The Answer
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:19 PM#204.......Cagey......"There are dozens of links google London Olympics Barnett consequentials and take your pick. As you have read GERs it was an easy one for you" , ..... If scotland received Barnett consequentials because of the LONDON olympics they should be paid back, because according to mr salmond and the snp via the GERs report - scotland contributed £0.0 to the olympics!, do you agree with the contents of GERs and it's statement about providing £0.0 to the olympics?
Peripatetic Pensioner
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:11 PMI travel a lot in what is popularly and wrongly known as the "3rd world" and if you reckon that many of Scotland's roads are worse than those found in the "3rd world" then believe me, you haven't been there.
.The Answer
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:04 PM#202.....Cagey .... " I didn't say that the Millenium Dome was funded by the Government. I said it was a national project." , provide a link to back up your claim?, ... we both know you can not.
Cagey
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:54 PM201 - There are dozens of links google London Olympics Barnett consequentials and take your pick. As you have read GERs it was an easy one for you. Not easy enough it seems. Now the UK national projects based in Scotland.
Russell M
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:52 PMSo what has happened to all the Road Tax and Fuel Duty we've been paying?
Cagey
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:50 PM200 - I didn't say that the Millenium Dome was funded by the Government. I said it was a national project. It was therefore an excepton for Lottery money as is the Olympics which has money diverted from the rest of the country.
.The Answer
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:43 PM#199............Cagey......."It states it in the GERs report" , you said PESA states it, exposed you yet again!, glad to help, ps .... GERs is nothing more than a fantasy...
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