|
A taxi driver has hit out at pothole-ridden roads in the county after he suffered three punctured tyres in one night.
And with roads in Cheltenham hit hardest, one garage in the town says it has changed as many tyres in two days as it usually would in three months.
Cabbie Roger Billam, 50, from The Reddings, was driving near Winchcombe when he drove into a pothole in Cutsdean Lane.
The impact punctured one front and one rear tyre, bringing him and his car full of passengers to a halt.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think one pothole could cause so much damage.
“ It was at least 5ins deep and the tyres just dropped straight in. There was no way I could have avoided it.”
Mr Billam, who works for A2B Taxis in Cheltenham, swapped one of the tyres with a spare and called on a colleague to bring out a replacement.
But after dropping the passengers off and heading for home, he drove into a second hole in Cheltenham’s Hyde Lane, puncturing his front kerbside tyre and denting the wheel rim.
“In 25 years as a taxi driver, I have never seen the roads in such a dreadful state,” he said. “Cheltenham is a minefield. It’s the result of years of cheap repair work that has come undone due to the recent cold weather.
“I hope it shows the council that quick fixes are a false economy. Road resurfacing needs to be done properly.
“Working conditions like these would not be tolerated in any other profession, so I don’t see why taxi drivers should have to put up with it.”
Mr Billam spent £160 on repairing the damage caused by the potholes and said he missed out on a day’s trade while the car was out of action.
Vehicle breakdown and recovery services across the town are also at full stretch, dealing with pothole-related accidents.
Martin Griffiths, manager of Yeates Garage in Prestbury Road, said: “We have changed more wheels in two days than we would normally do in three months. Accidents are unavoidable in some areas. Some of the potholes are as deep as 6ins and they are so wide drivers would have to risk pulling into oncoming traffic to get around them. It’s a disgrace.”
Diane Mitten, secretary of Cheltenham’s Hackney Carriage Association, said the state of the town’s roads was a big concern for taxi drivers.
She said: “It’s very tough for all motorists at the moment, but especially taxi drivers, who rely on the roads to make a living. We hope the council is able to repair the worst-hit areas as soon as possible.”
Councillor Stan Waddington, cabinet member for environment at Gloucestershire County Council, warned it would be “a mammoth task” to repair extensive damage caused by the cold snap.
“The recent bad weather has had a severe impact on our roads and we’re seeing potholes forming across Gloucestershire,” he said.
“We’ve started an emergency inspection and the damage will be reported and prioritised for repair as soon as possible.
“Inevitably, repairing the damage will cause disruption on the roads. I hope people will understand this work is essential and I would ask everyone to please be patient while we do our job.”
|
Login
Register
FAQ
