No more excuses: We’ll end the pothole plague and fix Britain’s roads for good, writes Heidi Alexander

You’re driving to work and you hit that same pothole, day after day. Our broken roads are a daily misery for drivers and cyclists who face the inevitable choice of either damaging their car or dangerously swerving.

Potholes also risk unexpected costs, resulting in vehicle repair bills that can be as much as £1,000 – a headache that all of us could do without, especially when times are tough.

I share the frustration of motorists around the country. For too long our roads have been symbol of decline – that ends now.

Last month, we announced a record £7.3 billion to renew and improve roads across the country – a major step towards the smoother journeys drivers deserve. But that’s not all.

More cash will now be backed by accountability. For the first time, you will be able to see how effective your council is at fixing and maintaining your roads.

Last week I unveiled a new traffic light rating system to hold every local council in England to account.

Red, amber or green ratings will be awarded based on common sense measures, including the condition of local roads and how well Government money is used to fix them.

Let me be clear - future funding will be based on performance. Taxpayers expect their hard-earned cash to be spent wisely.

That’s why councils will need to demonstrate delivery or risk losing future investment for good. By shining the light of transparency, there will be no more hiding places for failure.

I hope all councils will deliver as expected. We’ve now replaced the piecemeal approach to funding with multi-year funding settlements.

This will make planning local road improvements easier. That means no more sticking plaster solutions and no more re-appearing potholes.

This is the kind of change the country voted for. No excuses, proper fixes, and real accountability.

Pedestrians deserve decent pavements too. Whether you drive, ride a motorbike, cycle or simply walk, this Government is on your side.

We will end the pothole plague and start to fix our roads for good.

From cutting waiting lists, to bringing down inflation and reducing child poverty – or sorting out our roads – we are focused on delivering material change that people feel across the country.

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Heidi Alexander is the Secretary of State for Transport.

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