BUCHAN'S motorists are facing a 'hole' lot of trouble as they travel across the area on roads which have been decimated by the wintry weather.
Drivers are being continually faced with pot holes, cracks and flooding as they make their way around Buchan, and many are livid at the damage being caused to their vehicles.
The Buchanie was last week inundated with complaints from motorists who
claim the situation on Buchan roads is getting worse.
And a quick tour of the area by our reporters revealed a catalogue of cracks and plethora of pot holes in both the town and its surrounding villages.
One driver told us: "It was bad enough when the snow was here but now that it's gone it has left the roads in a terrible state.
"I couldn't believe the state of the speed bumps on Queen Street. They seem to have cracked under the strain of the snow.
Buchanie reporter Claire McKim examines a sizeable pothole at Longside
"The main Peterhead to Aberdeen road is also bad and when you're travelling at speed it's difficult to avoid the pot holes and it's definitely damaging for your vehicle.
"I hate to think what it's done to my suspension."
Out in Longside the evidence of the recent bad weather was clear as the speed humps leading up the Inverquhomery junction road were badly deteriorated.
They were covered with cracks and pot holes and appeared to be crumbling away at the edges.
Speaking about the pot hole problem recently, Cllr Peter Argyle, chairman of the council's infrastructure services committee, said the local authority was dependent on members of the public to report bad areas of road.
He told the Buchanie: "Pot holes are most common during the periods following severe frost/thaw cycles.
Bumpy ride: A damaged Speed hump on Peterhead's Queen Street
"As well as our roads inspections we rely on members of the public to report any defects to us and we will deal with them.
"Each pothole brought to our attention is made safe as soon as possible by our road crews. Repairs are currently being carried out throughout the region and we would ike to thank the public for their assistance in this matter."
Speaking in Peterhead recently, Banff and Buchan MSP and Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "The end of the severe cold snap and subsequent thaw have presented new challenges to councils, as they seek to deal with damage on the local roads network.
"To help deal with the situation, the Scottish Government is allocating an additional £5 million, to be shared equitably among councils."
Response times for pothole repairs are related to the severity of the damage and can vary from within 24 hours for emergency work to within one month or longer for minor defects.
Defects posing an immediate danger to the public are inspected and actioned within 24 hours. All other defects are inspected and repaired by a date specified by the inspector.
A system of inspections is in place to monitor road conditions and report any problems which need attention. It is likely that defects will occur between inspections and residents play an important role in alerting the council if this happens. It is also sometimes necessary to temporarily fill a pothole until staff are available to make a permanent repair.
Residents can report potholes and road defects to the council by calling 08456 081205, texting 07624 820722, or emailing:
roads@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
For more information on how to report a road defect, please visit:
www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/roads/maintenance/index.asp
