Local Scottish Conservatives are calling on the SNP to spend the extra roads cash they will receive from the UK Budget, this financial year, purely on fixing potholes.
As part of an extra £950m the Scottish Government will receive due to spending decisions made by the Chancellor, more than £41m will be heading Edinburgh’s way this financial year for local roads maintenance.
Although it is up to the Scottish Government how they spend these Barnett consequentials, the Scottish Conservatives are calling on the SNP to spend all of this additional money on improving the dreadful state of roads in the Borders and elsewhere in Scotland.
The Scottish Conservatives have previously called for a £100m ‘Pothole Fund’ that Scottish local authorities could bid for and use the cash to repair roads across the country.
Despite budget cuts from the Scottish Government, Scottish Border Council has set aside £22 million on roads and bridges, including an additional £1.8m boost to the resurfacing budget.
Last year Confused.com calculated that the total depth of potholes in the Scottish Borders is 97m, the same height as 65 cars.
Rachael Hamilton MSP also said: “The new funding coming to Scotland is excellent and I welcome the news given I campaigned tirelessly for better funding of our roads, pledging a Pothole Action Fund last year.
“Funding to maintain Scotland’s roads has been cut by a fifth over the last seven years, and recent figures showed there are over 153,310 potholes at a total depth of 6,354m.
“The Scottish Conservatives pledged to spend £100m on repairing our roads; the SNP have yet to come up with a plan or funding of tackling the issue.
“Potholes are a costly nuisance to drivers, and the SNP have neglected our roads for years, exacerbating the damage.”