Potholes fuel voter frustration before elections - so what can be done?

Potholes fuel voter frustration before elections - so what can be done?Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRichard WheelerPolitical reporterGetty ImagesMany voters heading to the polls in Thursday's English local elections will have one subject at the top of their agenda - the state of the roads in their area.Opinion polls suggest potholes are right up there with the cost of living, health services and crime as the key deciding issue for how they will vote. From the risk of damage to vehicles costing hundreds of pounds to the danger for those travelling on bikes or by foot, potholes can also be a visible sign of a community's upkeep.The UK government said it wants to end the "pothole plague" although Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who is responsible for roads in England, struck a pothole and damaged her Mini Cooper last month.Alexander joked she "thought that the astronauts on Artemis II might have seen a similar-size crater" during their recent voyage around the Moon, a comment that attracted criticism from her local authority.People contacting the BBC's Your Voice have reported their roads becoming "undriveable" and "dreadful" due to potholes while also raising questions about the response of their councils. But what is the situation facing councils responsible for maintaining the local road network in their area and how are they approaching it?Industry body the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) outlined the scale of the task in its 2026 survey released in March.It said the cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch would be an estimated £18.6bn and it could take 12 years to clear despite an increase in funding.The AIA said the survey results reported 1.9 million potholes were filled over the past year.Mark Morrell, dubbed Mr Pothole, has spent several years campaigning for improvementsIf one man embodies the battle to improve the state of our roads, it's a...