Potholes.co.uk,  has welcomed news that a new taskforce comprising councils, utility companies and business representatives has been set up to reduce the cost and disruption caused by roadworks.

However the website, set up by automotive warranty specialist Warranty Direct in 2007, maintains that greater investment is still needed across the board to bring the UK’s crumbling road network up to scratch.

News from the Local Government Association shows that poorly-repaired roads cost taxpayers almost half a billion pounds over the past two years.

Potholes.co.uk experienced a record number of visitors in the first four months of this year, as Britain’s ‘Pothole Season’ took its toll on the nation’s vehicles. Analysis of Warranty Direct’s 50,000 live policies shows that the average cost of repairing cars damaged by bad roads is £257.

Warranty Direct’s Duncan McClure Fisher said: “We are very happy to hear that the government is acknowledging the mess that councils and utility companies leave behind when they repair roads to an inadequate standard.

“Over the years, we have found that many Potholes.co.uk users report damage to the vehicles caused by stretches of road which have been dug up and repaired poorly.

“We’ve always campaigned for the ‘patch and mend’ mentality to be scrapped and for better funding to be made available to local authorities so they can do the job properly in the first place.

“However, we won’t be holding our breath that the taskforce will magically improve Britain’s roads – our infrastructure needs greater investment across the board and this is just one small step in achieving that.”