Some drivers are calling for a ‘pothole levy’ to be introduced for heavier vehicles such as LGVs and HGVs, according to a new study.
The idea would be for the tax to directly fund pothole repairs and road improvement works, with 56% of drivers polled believing that HGV drivers and fleets should contribute more to road repairs.
Interestingly, there were similar figures for larger cars too, such as people carriers and SUVs, with drivers keen for a higher rate of road tax to be applied to heavier vehicles.
The pothole issue on UK roads has been long publicised and as we all know, it can cause significant damage to vehicles as well as impacting on road safety.
A new pothole repair fund was introduced by the government last year, but a recent report showed that the backlog of road repairs will cost around £16.8 billion to address.
That figure has risen significantly (by 42%) since 2016, with repair costs to drivers also increasing by 150% in the last decade.
In fact, UK drivers paid out more than £1.7 billion to repair damage to their vehicles caused by potholes in 2024.
The issue is that while we all recognise the need for more work to be done on road maintenance, there is very little appetite for higher road tax…
But the government remains under pressure to improve road surface conditions as it looks to improve road safety.
