Councils pay £230,000 to drivers for pothole damage

NEARLY £230,000 has been paid out to motorists in Edinburgh and the Lothians whose vehicles have been damaged by potholes over the last five years.

Since 2008, Capital drivers have received more than £140,000 in payouts, while in East Lothian the figure sits at £42,000. Midlothian Council has compensated drivers to the tune of £34,000, while potholes have cost authorities in West Lothian £11,000.

It makes Edinburgh the fifth highest council in Scotland for payouts over the last five years, with the Scotland-wide total more than £3.5 million.

The figures, which were obtained by the Scottish Conservatives under the Freedom of Information Act, came as the AA said Scotland’s roads were worse for potholes than those across the rest of the UK.

Tory Lothians MSP Gavin Brown said: “If the Scottish Government prioritised roads maintenance, drivers could encounter the Lothians’ roads with more confidence, and the councils could save money in the future.”