Road Repairs New Technology 2026-07-16
2026-07-16
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
Local authorities are seeking better technology to manage potholes and road defects. The Government has previously announced funding but details on specific technological adoption remain unclear.
What support she plans to provide to local authorities to help them adopt new technologies for tackling potholes and road defects?
The Government are providing local authorities with a record £7.3 billion investment in local road maintenance, giving councils the long-term certainty that they need to fix potholes, repair road defects and adopt a more preventive approach to maintenance. Some of the funding is being used to incentivise best practice and innovation. In addition, the Government have funded £30 million for Live Labs 2 programming, which is testing innovative materials, new technologies and maintenance techniques to help authorities improve road conditions while reducing costs and disruption.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
A suggestion has been made to utilize the frequent travel of bin lorries as a means to detect potholes early through advanced technology, which has shown success in Australia.
Potholes are the bane of all our lives, including for my constituents, but I have a cunning plan: we could fix potholes much faster by tapping into the superpowers of bin men and women. Bin lorries travel every road every week. Why not equip them with cameras and AI-enabled technology, so that they can spot, map and log potholes immediately, as soon as they appear? That would significantly speed up the process of fixing them. This has been done very successfully in Australia. Will the Department for Transport work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that local authorities have the funding and co-ordination needed to adopt this fantastic technology nationwide?
That is exactly why the Government have funded the £30 million for Live Labs 2. We want councils to have access to the best available evidence on the condition of their roads. We have introduced a new road conditioning monitoring standard that enables local authorities to use a range of approved technologies, including innovative AI-based systems, to collect consistent and reliable data.
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Assessment & feedback
Co-ordination between departments for specific implementation was not addressed in detail.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
With the recent funding, there has been noticeable improvement in potholes but concerns remain about overall road safety. The previous government's neglect created a backlog that is now being addressed.
In my area, the improvement on potholes is noticeable, and I thank the Government for the additional funding, which is being used for large patching work; no longer is there just shovelling into endless holes. I am concerned, however, about road safety in my constituency. Understandably, the money has been prioritised for addressing the enormous backlog of roadworks that developed under the last Government. What more can we do to ensure safety, as well as good road conditions?
My hon. Friend will be aware that this Government brought forward, for the first time in over a decade, a road safety strategy. In addition, we have introduced a red, amber and green rating of local authorities, to identify where extra support is necessary in order to improve systems and practices, so that we can banish the potholes once and for all.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific additional measures or funding for road safety was not provided.
Response accuracy