By Bill Heaney
Less than 50 motorists in West Dunbartonshire have claimed money from the local council for their car being damaged by potholes.
This is despite the fact that the roads here are so bad that it would cost more than £15 MILLION to eradicate all the potholes on our local roads.
The figure wheeled out for Argyll and Bute which now includes Helensburgh, the Rosneath Peninsula and Loch Longside is around £12 MILLION.
The roads in West Dunbartonshire extend from Clydebank to Arrochar on the A82 road to the West Highlands and the A814 from Dumbuck junction through Dumbarton to Westcliff.
This road also runs from Dalreoch to Cardross and to Balloch via Renton, Alexandria and Jamestown, up Loch Lomondside.
According to a new survey, the details which were obtained through a freedom of information request answered only by 24 of Scotland’s 32 councils, it would cost more than £4 BILLION to rid all of Scotland’s roads of potholes.
These figures have been provided by SCOTS annual road condition survey.
Asked if there was a backlog for road maintenance and repairs in this area, West Dunbartonshire Council told the surveyors that the there was but that the cost of doing this work could not be estimated.
This startling revelation follows years of complaints from angry drivers about the state of roads — while local authorities say SNP ministers have starved them of cash.
Labour transport spokesman Alex Rowley said: “Pothole-ridden roads are a damning symbol of SNP failure and a daily reminder of how badly this government has hollowed out council budgets.
Scottish Tories likened our pothole-ridden roads to the “surface of the moon”.
SNP Ministers insist they have made more than £14 billion available to councils, which have responsibility for road maintenance.
But they warned more UK Government cuts will tighten purse strings further.
West Dunbartonshire Council refused to comment.
Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: “Just this week, the Labour Government announced £22 billion of cuts that will see millions wiped from the Scottish Government’s budget to deliver key services.”