Charity warns roads causing issues in medicine transport network
Severn Freewheelers say five of their bikes have been damaged by potholes since the start of the year
A charity taking critical medical supplies to the NHS says its service is being compromised by the state of the UK's roads.
Severn Freewheelers, who work across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire and Swindon, transport medicines and phials of blood testing to NHS locations. But the charity has seen five of its bikes suffer significant damage due to potholes this year.
"It could be tyre damage, wheel damage, or a combination of both," Simon Grover, vice-chair and fundraising manager for the charity told us.
He told us the average cost is around £1,000, meaning the charity, which has to raise £85,000 to provide its service, has had to find an extra £5,000 to get their bikes back on the road.
Damage can be the end of the road for one night
Simon revealed that the damage can result in their nightly service being brought to an abrupt halt.
"If a bike breaks, we have to get another vehicle out to the damaged bike," he said. "That could take the medicines onward, but invariably it has to take it back to the point of origin and say to the NHS, we're really sorry, but the bike has been damaged. That's the end of the service tonight."
He added that it's not just potholes that are a problem. The service runs overnight from 7pm to 7am and seeing potential hazards can be difficult, with some being spotted only when it's too late.
"There are uneven surfaces, which make it very difficult to ride and it's also the debris that is kicked up by the potholes disintegrating onto the road. And there's a skid risk.
"It's about helping us serve the NHS, but it's also about protecting our own volunteers when they're riding the bikes."
Simon told us that when a service is stopped due to a breakdown, the organisation does bear the weight of letting people down.
"It's a natural phenomenon but we feel guilty that we can't actually deliver because of the state of the roads."
In response, a spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: "Worcestershire County Council prioritises highway safety issues in line with our Highway Safety Inspection Policy and the national Code of Practice, alongside a planned approach that focuses on early intervention and long term management of the network."
Herefordshire Council also added: "Our highways teams continue to inspect the network and respond to reports from road users so repairs can be prioritised where they are most needed."
The Department for Transport said it's giving local authorities a record 7.3 billion pounds to revitalise our road networks.