MPs met face-to-face with road maintenance experts this week to discuss the UK’s pothole crisis and what can be done to help local authorities improve the situation.

More than 70 MPs were given the chance to learn from road industry experts in the first-of-its-kind event

More than 70 parliamentarians were given the chance to learn from road industry experts in the first-of-its-kind event, organised by the RAC at Westminster.

At the event, senior representatives from the Road Surface Treatments Association, Institute of Highways Engineers, Asphalt Industry Association and Road Emulsion Association shared their expert knowledge with MPs and peers of all political parties, advising how councils can best use the funding they have to look after their road networks.

Parliamentarians were also given access to a range of the latest data points, allowing them to both understand the condition of the roads within their individual constituencies, and see how much proactive maintenance – including preservation treatment and full resurfacing – councils have completed.

The RAC said the combination of expert insights, together with data that revealed the true state of the roads, was designed to give MPs and peers the evidence they need to encourage local authorities to change the way they think about road maintenance – and help councils make the most of the record £1.6bn pothole funding from the Government for this financial year.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “We have long advocated councils take a much more proactive approach to looking after their roads and put an end to the cycle of merely filling potholes. We need to shift the focus to carrying out the right type of maintenance at the right time, so our roads aren’t left to deteriorate. Preserving those that are currently in reasonable condition – using techniques such as surface dressing – and resurfacing the ones that are beyond repair is the ultimate answer to getting rid of the country’s potholes.

“While there’s a huge way to go to get our roads up to a better standard – a point we highlighted earlier this week when we announced the number of pothole-related breakdowns the RAC attended had doubled in the last quarter – we’ve got to start somewhere.

“It’s extremely positive that MPs and peers have heard from industry experts exactly what needs to be done to make our roads better at such an early stage in the new Parliament. We hope MPs will use their new knowledge to work constructively with councils up and down the country. We were delighted that Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood took the time to attend and was receptive to the approach being advocated by the experts we had assembled.

“Knowing the poor state of local roads is motorists’ top concern by a significant margin, the RAC is committed to doing all it can to make driving a smoother experience, and bringing government closer to the road maintenance industry is absolutely key to that.”