The worst parts of the Midlands to drive with pothole capitals revealed
Motorists in Tamworth have to contend with some of the worst roads in the UK, new data suggests. Those in Redditch and Worcester are also having to cope with troublesome terrains, a ‘pothole index’ revealed.
Compiled by eBay, the rankings were calculated using sales data from the purchase of parts that are vulnerable to pothole damage. Tamworth came fifth in the table, based on the demand for such parts – including wheels, tyres and hubcaps – compared with the population size.
The town, which shared the top five with Norwich, Lincoln, Chesterfield and Preston, is among the counties receiving the highest additional government[1] funding to deal with potholes in the current financial year, with Staffordshire benefiting from £4,456,400. Elsewhere in the table, Redditch came twelfth, while Worcester landed in at 15.
Dr Tony Tong, eBay’s head of automotive, said: “Our exclusive eBay Pothole Index shows that drivers in Norwich and nearby Lincoln buy more new wheels, tyres and associated parts than anywhere else in the UK – suggesting their roads cause the most damage to these vulnerable items.
“It’s not all bad news for motorists, though, as the most affected six towns and cities in the eBay Pothole Index are all covered by local authorities who sit among the 15 biggest recipients when it comes to their share of the recently announced £200m increase in road maintenance spending, suggesting the extra finances are going to the places that need it most.”
- Norwich
- Lincoln
- Chesterfield
- Preston
- Tamworth
- Boston
- Southampton
- Reading
- Newport
- Ipswich
- Nottingham
- Redditch
- Leicester
- Gloucestershire
- Worcester.
References
- ^ government (www.thesun.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office shares dates for hottest day of year and when hot spell ends (www.birminghammail.co.uk)