New research has found that a significant number of drivers believe additional charges should be levied against larger, heavier vehicles.
The Kwikfit survey revealed that 56% of motorists think that HGV operators should contribute more to road repairs. Meanwhile, 44% of respondents said a dedicated pothole levy should be applied to delivery vans, and 48% think heavier vehicles should pay higher vehicle excise duty.
According to the 2025 PIT Report (Pothole Impact Tracker) published by Kwikfit in March, UK drivers have spent no less than £1.7 billion over the past year to repair damage caused by potholes. Even more concerning, the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s 2025 Alarm Report revealed that local authorities need £16.8 billion to clear the backlog of road repairs.
These figures have increased significantly, with costs to local authorities rising 42% since 2016, and costs to drivers up by 150%.
Operations director at Kwikfit, Dan Joyce, said: “The data shows that there is an increasingly pressing need to invest in the maintenance of our road network, but our new research highlights that there are no easy answers as to how this is funded.”
Only 26% of respondents said that they were prepared to pay more road tax to fund local road repairs, with most respondents feeling that they already pay enough.
Joyce added: “Motorists already feel that they are contributing enough, so it is understandable that they want the additional burden to be on the heavier vehicles believed to do the most damage to road surfaces. Of course, any costs placed on businesses through levies on HGVs or delivery vans are likely to be passed through to the end consumer, so it’s critical that potential measures are not looked at in isolation.”
New measures and increased funding have been announced by the Government to combat the effects of potholes.
