Driving instructor trying to stop learners 'nearly hitting traffic' thanks to Fenland potholes
The county council faces an £800m backlog in road maintenance
A Fenland driving instructor is trying his best to make sure his pupils don't end up in harm's way because of more potholes on local roads.
Cambridgeshire County Council is facing an £800 million backlog in road maintenance, with £500m put towards improving peat soil-affected roads.
As of the end of January, the council recorded more than 5,400 potholes were in need of repair.
"We're always trying to keep further away from the kerb where there could be more damage, but we shouldn't have to swerve over the road to try and avoid damaging the car and nearly hitting oncoming traffic," Anthony Georgiou, of GGO Driving School, said.
"It means my job becomes harder because I'm having to help pupils avoid potholes and deal with an extra feature, so their life becomes more difficult."
'Expensive' damage
Anthony has been teaching people to drive for more than 15 years, covering Wisbech, March, King's Lynn and surrounding areas.
He's previously fallen foul of pothole damage, and knows others who have also suffered because of road defects.
"I've had damage where it's a new tyre, probably from £60 to £100 odd, so the damage can be expensive if it's just a tyre, the alloys, rims and suspension as well," Anthony said.
"The potholes in the road, trying to dodge those, it's a lot more stress for them (pupils) and if the roads were smoother, it makes life a lot easier for them but with tests getting harder, it's added pressure."
What is a pothole?
A pothole is caused when the road surface weakens due to temperature change or more traffic, creating small cracks.
These cracks expand inside the road which can allow water to seep in and when that freezes, a hole is formed.
Potholes can vary in size and depth; other causes include the age and wear of a road or poor construction methods, such as insufficient maintenance.
Last year, the RAC attended an average of 71 breakdowns a day because of potholed roads, up from 62 in 2024.
While there was a 15% increase in the number of drivers suffering pothole-related breakdowns, according to the RAC's Pothole Index.
“Record levels of funding from central Government and a requirement for councils to demonstrate how they’re making best use of it – to stop potholes appearing in the first place, not just to patch them up – should spell the end of the woeful roads many drivers are sadly used to," Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said.
"But drivers are still breaking down in their thousands as a direct result of potholes. So, while there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s still a frustratingly long way off."
Overnight closures
Anthony believes some of Cambridgeshire's roads are deteriorating, seeing many drivers use the middle of the road to avoid potholes or other defects.
"The repairs that are getting done are just patchwork, come up within months and are quickly and cheaply done," he added.
"Realistically, some roads need closing overnight and the whole road doing so it lasts for a number of years rather than months."
Notably, a pothole on the A1301 through Great Shelford measuring several feet in length has been filled in by Cambridgeshire County Council after a campaign.
Figures from the AA show it received 613,638 pothole-related callouts last year, a daily average of 1,681.
In its budget for 2026-27, the council's agreed to spend £58m on local roads, including resurfacing, preventative treatments, and upgrades to bridges, footpaths and cycle routes.
While the Government's promised to invest £1.2 billion across the East of England in the next four years to help councils make road improvements.
Last October, Councillor Alex Beckett - chair of the Cambridgeshire County Council's highways and transport committee - said the authority was "spending record amounts" on improving roads.
Mr Beckett added this investment "will make a meaningful difference to people's lives across Cambridgeshire."