Almost every pothole compensation request made by motorists in Moray since 2019 has been rejected by the council, it can be revealed today.
A response by Moray Council to Moray MP Douglas Ross shows that out of 190 requests made by motorists, a total of 163 were rejected up to December 15 this year.
Only 11 claims were successful, while 16 claims with the council are still ongoing.
Douglas says the figures are “astonishing” and highlight that cash-strapped councils like Moray simply do not have the resources to pay out to “frustrated” motorists due to years of savage cuts imposed by the SNP-Green government.
He added that locals and visitors to Moray are facing a “double whammy” due to those cuts, of having roads that are pothole-ridden, but then are hit in the pocket as the council is almost certain to not compensate them.
The figures show that out of 40 claims made in 2023, 28 have been rejected, with only two paid out and a further ten ongoing.
Only two claims were paid out in 2019 out of 39, with a similar result in 2020 for motorists where the council agreed to two claims out of 41.
In 2021, 39 claims out of 47 were rejected, though five claims remain unsettled, while last year 21 out of 24 claims were rejected.
Douglas has called on the SNP-Green government to deliver a “fair funding” deal to Moray Council so they have the money required to fix the area’s pothole-ridden roads.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “It is incredible that nearly every pothole compensation claim made to Moray Council since 2019 has been rejected.
“The blame for this lies firmly with the SNP-Green government. They have imposed savage cuts on Moray Council year after year meaning the cash-strapped local authority simply do not have the resources to pay out on these compensation requests to frustrated motorists.
“These cuts mean motorists in Moray are facing a double whammy.
“Not only are they having to drive on pothole-ridden roads, they also know that they are extremely unlikely to receive any form of compensation, meaning they will be hit in the pocket.
“As someone who travels on Moray’s roads every week, I share their frustration. It is time for the SNP-Green government to deliver a fair funding deal to Moray Council so they have the resources to bring our roads up to standard, or at the very least pay out a fair share of compensation claims to local drivers who have suffered as a result of the poor road quality.