Pot holes are putting lives at risk: Warke

The DUP Alderman also expressed concern at the Department of Regional Development’s (DRD) reiteration that it doesn’t have the money to fix them and won’t be in the immediate term.

Alderman Warke said he had received a number of complaints from people living in rural areas because of the state of the roads.

“The lack of investment in maintenance is putting people’s lives at risk, pot holes now cover most rural roads around Londonderry and Strabane,” he said.

“The worrying thing is that DRD have came back and stated that it is not going to treat or fix rural roads,” he added.

The Faughan area Alderman said he wrote to the DRD about the problem.

An official responded: “As you may be aware the Department has had to introduce a skeletal service due to budget cuts.

“Only the most severe defects on highly trafficked roads can be repaired.

“The Ardground Road is not a high trafficked road, consequently these defects will not be repaired unless the skeletal service criteria is amended or we revert to our normal service.”

But Alderman Warke said: “Figures showed road deaths on rural roads accounted for 72 per cent of the total number of people killed on our roads of 2013/ 2014.

“If we don’t get these roads fixed this is putting people traveling on rural roads at risk.

“You only have to travel on the Ardground Rd to see the size of pot holes on this,” said Alderman Warke.