HGV driving instructor says potholes are ruining lessons for learners

For 25 years, Sue Howe of Sue’s Driving School has taught hundreds of HGV drivers how to travel safely on roads around the borough.

But she is fed up with how often potholes make it difficult for learners to drive at normal speeds - and thinks repairs carried out by the borough council are not up to a good standard.

Potholes are not repaired to a good standard, claims a HGV driving instructor (Image: Newsquest)

She said: “The road near the Patriot Arms has been in a terrible state for weeks, I reported it ages ago. Even when the holes are filled in, the road is left uneven. It’s a disgrace.

“The truck rattles about so much, it’s horrendous. I’ve had to replace two springs on the lorries, which are designed for flat, smooth tarmac.

“The learners have to keep at a certain speed because it’s part of the test, but every time they approach a pothole, they have to slow down to five miles an hour or risk damaging the lorry.”

Driving instructors from Sue's Driving School are fed up with potholes on Swindon's roads. (Image: Newsquest)

This stop-start approach ends up causing long queues of traffic behind the lorries and some impatient drivers swerve dangerously into the opposite lane to overtake. It also poses problems for the stability of the load the lorry is carrying.

Sue explained: “Imagine what it’s like for the other trucks going through Swindon. If you’ve got eggs in the back, you’ve no chance of them getting to the destination intact.

“The company that used to be responsible for the road repairs did a much better job, now they are really shoddy and don’t last.”

Sue Howe of Sue's Driving School (Image: Newsquest)

Borough council cabinet member for highways maintenance Kevin Parry said: “We were initially alerted to this potential road surface defect back in July last year and responded within 24 hours, providing an update the next working day.

“At the time the road surface was inspected, it did not meet the threshold for repair.

The road near the Patriot's Arms (Image: Newsquest)

"Since then, the wintery cold and wet weather we have experienced has resulted in more potholes forming across the borough.

“Our teams are working extremely hard to fix them and are looking to carry out further improvement works on Hodson Road in the future.

“According to our records, the customer has not reported any further potholes on this road since the initial report last summer.

“We would encourage anyone with queries on potholes to visit our website, where there is a dedicated FAQ page - www.swindon.gov.uk/potholes”