A hole lot of trouble
POTHOLES continue to blight the southside and East Renfrewshire, according to Extra readers.
Glasgow city council’s latest budget set aside a record £36 million for road, pavement and infrastructure improvements and promised “Glasgow’s biggest ever blitz on potholes” — meanwhile, East Renfrewshire council increased its roads investment by 27 per cent.
Despite this, Langside, Battlefield and Camphill community council raised ongoing complaints this week, and asked The Extra’s Facebook followers to point out problem areas.
The community council presented Langside councillor Susan Aitken with the list of potholed streets at Monday’s meeting, in the hope of feeding the information back to the council.
Community councillor Rosalyn Barclay told The Extra: “You have to get home at night, and you’re driving the same roads every day — you can’t always go another way.
“We’re hearing about the same areas again and again: behind the Victoria Infirmary, on Battlefield Road, on Millbrae Road, as well as two damaged traffic-calming bumps near Langside Place where you have to swerve the car to get around.”
Rosalyn has paid out to repair damage to her car in the past – and she is not alone.
Facebook follower Karen Ness commented on a “bad pothole at the junction beside Battlefield Rest — it cost us £250 last week”.
Reports of councils paying compensation for pothole-damaged cars have prompted many to take their complaint to Glasgow city council — including Lynda Chisholm, who replied: “You shouldn’t be out of pocket if it was reported before and not fixed — we sent the council the bill and got reimbursed.”
However, Glasgow city council stress that “road authorities are not automatically liable if a vehicle is damaged because of the presence of a pothole”.
A GCC spokesman continued: “A claimant has to demonstrate that it was reasonable and practicable for the council to have become aware of the defect and to have repaired it before damage or injury occurred.
“Provided an authority can demonstrate that there is a reasonable system of inspection in place — and the system was adhered to — the authority will not normally be liable.”
The problem appears to extend to East Renfrewshire, with Clarkston community council commenting that there are “plenty (of potholes) here too”.
A spokesman for East Renfrewshire council responded: “With regard to claim for damage compensation, this should be notified to the council, and a claim form would be issued for completion.
“The roads service would report on the circumstances when the claim is received to allow the council’s loss adjusters to advise on liability.”
Faults can be reported on 0800 373635 or by visiting the respective authority’s website.
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Weather for Glasgow
Sunday 26 May 2013
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