Transport Scotland - Information regarding deteriorating road conditions: EIR release

Information requested

Updated information and clarification regarding road maintenance, environmental enforcement, and the wider impacts of deteriorating road conditions on the public.

Residents continue to raise significant concerns about the condition of the road network, the recurrence of potholes, pavement obstruction, and levels of littering within communities.

There is also increasing concern about the damage being caused to vehicles as a result of poor road surfaces.

In order to better understand the scale, cost, and effectiveness of current policies and enforcement approaches, I would be grateful if the Scottish Government and/or Glasgow City Council could provide the following information:

Potholes and temporary road repairs

The total number of potholes and/or temporary road repairs undertaken each year from 2017 to the present date, broken down year by year.

Cost of temporary repairs

The annual cost associated with temporary road repairs over the same period, again broken down year by year.

Viability of short-term repairs

Any assessment held regarding the operational and financial viability of short-term (temporary) pothole repairs compared with permanent repairs or resurfacing, including durability, repeat repair rates, and overall value for money.

Littering enforcement

The number of fines issued by the Council for littering offences from 2017 to the present date, broken down year by year.

Pavement parking enforcement

The number of fines issued for vehicles parked on pavements since the introduction of pavementparking legislation, broken down year by year from commencement to present.

In addition, given the clear public concern and the financial burden placed on motorists and public services, I would welcome your views on the impact that deteriorating road conditions and potholes are having on vehicle damage, road safety, and associated costs to citizens across Glasgow and indeed Scotland as a whole.

This information will assist in responding to constituents and in assessing whether current infrastructure maintenance and enforcement strategies provide effective and sustainable outcomes for communities.I would be grateful for any data tables, reports, or policy assessments that can be shared.

On 17 February 2026 we asked you to clarify if the information requested relates to a specific area or location. We further advised that Transport Scotland is responsible for the trunk road network, while local roads fall under the responsibility of the relevant local authority. We also asked for confirmation of the period of your request.

On 23 February we received a partial response confirming the dates of your request but not the location. This resulted in a further request being issued for the location of your request.

On 25 February a 3rd request was issued for the location information. As this has still not been provided we have assumed the location to be trunk roads with the Glasgow City Centre area.

Response

The following information is relevant to the trunk road network with Glasgow City Centre .i.e. M8 motorway from junction 10 to junction 23.

1. You requested the total number of potholes and/or temporary road repairs undertaken each year from 2017 to the present date, broken down year by year.

Please see Annex A to this response for details of potholes relating to the M8 motorway from junction 10 to junction 23. Please note this information is from mid 2017 to date as early 2017 data is not available.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Transport Scotland does not have this information because not all data for 2017 was available.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about the total number of potholes and/or temporary road repairs undertaken each year from 2017 to the present date, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

2. You requested the annual cost associated with temporary road repairs over the same period, again broken down year by year.

The current South West unit Operating Company Contract commenced on 16 August 2020. This contract operates under a single unitary payment, as did the previous contract, to deliver a defined set of services which includes pothole repairs and are therefore not separately priced.

3. You requested any assessment held regarding the operational and financial viability of short-term (temporary) pothole repairs compared with permanent repairs or resurfacing, including durability, repeat repair rates, and overall value for money.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Transport Scotland does not have this information because no such assessment has been undertaken.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about operational and financial viability of short-term (temporary) pothole repairs, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

4. You requested the number of fines issued by the Council for littering offences from 2017 to the present date, broken down year by year.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because it has no access to the number of fines issued by Glasgow City Council (GCC) or littering offences from 2017 to the present date. You may wish to contact GCC to request this information at the following link: Glasgow - Glasgow City Council

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about he number of fines issued by Glasgow City Council (GCC) or littering offences from 2017 to the present date, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

5. You requested the number of fines issued for vehicles parked on pavements since the introduction of pavement-parking legislation, broken down year by year from commencement to present.

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not responsible for issuing fines for vehicles parked on pavements. You may wish to contact GCC to request this information at the following link: Glasgow - Glasgow City Council

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about the number of fines issued for vehicles parked on pavements since the introduction of pavementparking legislation, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

6. You requested Transport Scotland's views on the impact that deteriorating road conditions and potholes are having on vehicle damage, road safety, and associated costs to citizens across Glasgow and indeed Scotland as a whole.

Transport Scotland (TS) recognises the concerns raised regarding deteriorating road conditions and the impact potholes can have on vehicle damage, road safety, and costs to road users. The safety of the travelling public is our priority, and we operate a robust inspection and maintenance regime across the trunk road network to ensure defects are identified and repaired within agreed timescales.

It is important to note that the vast majority of roads in Glasgow and across Scotland are the responsibility of local authorities, who manage their own inspection and repair programmes. The Scottish Government provides significant annual funding to councils to support the maintenance of local roads, and it is for each authority to determine how best to allocate these resources.

TS continues to invest in the trunk road network to improve resilience and reduce the need for reactive repairs. TS also work closely with our operating companies to monitor condition trends and ensure that any issues with potential safety implications are addressed promptly.

TS will continue to support local authorities through funding, guidance, and collaboration, while maintaining our own network to national standards to minimise disruption, reduce long term costs, and safeguard all road users.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

EIR 202600506797 - Information released - Annex A

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