MOST drivers will have first winced and then cursed as they crash over yet another pothole on our roads.

And, according to evidence released today by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), the nation’s roads have never been in a poorer state, largely due to a combination of ever increasing traffic levels and wetter weather conditions.

Anecdotally too, regular roads users in the Bradford district ranging from cab drivers to cyclists tell us that they agree.

The amount of damage caused to people’s cars and tyres, let alone the further risks to other road users caused by people taking evasive action to avoid potholes shows that this is an issue that simply cannot be ignored.

And it also threatens to cause real difficulties for Bradford as the road network isn’t great as it is and ever crumbling roads just threaten to slow down our infrastructure even more.

Bradford Council says it has allocated sufficient money - about £150,000 in the next financial year - to repair whatever potholes it deems necessary and more than 2,000 of them have been filled in in the last five weeks alone after it temporarily brought in specialist machinery to do so.

But this approach does smack somewhat of short-termism and raises questions if it is the most cost-effective way of dealing with road repairs in the longer-term, particularly as the AIA warns nationally that one in six roads will be worn out within five years.

It is, of course, a question of priorities.

But money obviously needs to be found both locally and nationally to make good this problem.