Residents in Bucks warned not to repair potholes themselves

In a blog post by Transport for Bucks contract director Martin Heeley, reveals a question frequently asked by residents across the county is: ‘Can I repair a pothole myself?’

Potholes have been a hot topic for frustrated residents and councillors across the county in recent years, as harsh winter weather takes its toll on Bucks roads.

Heavy rainfall and ice can cause potholes to form in roads, however transport teams are unable to carry out permanent repairs until the weather improves.

While some residents may feel like they could repair a pothole, Mr Heeley has instructed them to “leave it to the professionals” to avoid putting their, or anyone else’s, life at risk.

He said: “In short, the answer is no.

"Under no conditions should you ever try to repair a pothole, or any kind or road defect, yourself – and there are a number of reasons why.

“First of all, this is a big no-no from a health and safety point of view.

“You could harm yourself or another road user whilst completing the repair due to the fact that you might not know what you’re doing or that you may use the wrong equipment or materials, which could result in an injury.

“Additionally, a road user might injure themselves on the defect that you have repaired.

“By repairing the pothole yourself, you then become liable for that pothole, and would be fully responsible for anyone trying to claim for damage or injuries caused by it.

“Could you guarantee that you have fixed it so well, it won’t fall through and will never damage a car or cause injury to a member of the public?”

He added that appropriate traffic management needs to be in place, such as temporary lights, so repair work can be carried out safely.

Mr Heeley said: “Repairing a pothole, or any other kind of road defect, should be left to the professionals who are trained to do the job and are equipped with appropriate equipment to carry out the repair.

“It can be frustrating when you see a pothole on the road, report it and then it doesn’t get repaired as quickly as you would like.

“However, there is always a good reason behind why we haven’t repaired a pothole.

“We follow a risk-based approach that determines if we do or don’t repair a pothole, and we do this in the most value for money way possible.”

In November last year it was revealed the county council will receive £4.6 million from a £420 million pot of national finding for infrastructure repairs.

The grant, earmarked for potholes, bridge repairs and road defects must be spent by March this year.