Edinburgh driver left with repair bill after ‘frightening’ pothole drama

A DRIVER has told how a pothole on a major Capital thoroughfare forced her from the road with a burst tyre.
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Housekeeper Theresa Muldoon was driving to a family meal with husband George on Saturday afternoon when they hit the hole on Causewayside.

It later emerged their vehicle was the third in days to run into problems at the same spot – prompting a crack team of council workers to fill in the hole yesterday.

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“It was such a thud – it was horrible,” said Mrs Muldoon, 69, from Gilmerton. “We’ve got a compartment in the car and everything just jumped up. It was frightening.”

Pothole Pete was on hand to measure the extent of the hole. Theresa Muldoon was left with a repair bill after bursting her tyre. Picture: JPIMediaPothole Pete was on hand to measure the extent of the hole. Theresa Muldoon was left with a repair bill after bursting her tyre. Picture: JPIMedia
Pothole Pete was on hand to measure the extent of the hole. Theresa Muldoon was left with a repair bill after bursting her tyre. Picture: JPIMedia

The couple had to fork out £52 for a new replacement after the front passenger side tyre of their Suzuki Swift was wrecked.

The Evening News launched a campaign this month to highlight the Lothians’ crumbling roads with Pothole Pete.

The campaign flags up the worst of the Capital’s roads and the need for more investment to reduce the impact of potholes, divots and broken surfaces.

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Experts say defects in the city’s road network causes thousands of pounds of damage every year.

Theresa Muldoon's car suffered damage to a wheel after hitting a pothole on Causewayside. Picture: JPIMediaTheresa Muldoon's car suffered damage to a wheel after hitting a pothole on Causewayside. Picture: JPIMedia
Theresa Muldoon's car suffered damage to a wheel after hitting a pothole on Causewayside. Picture: JPIMedia

Exclusive figures provided by the AA show that more than 9,000 potholes could have been fixed if two large roadwork schemes had not overspent.

“A man told us a car with a trailer hit the same pothole on Friday and he thought the trailer was going to go over the car,” said Mrs Muldoon.

“We went back yesterday and there was a car jacked up with its hazards on and the same thing had happened as happened to us.

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“And the driver said while she was waiting for her husband it had happened to someone else right in front of her.”

Council workers filled the pothole in. Picture: JPIMediaCouncil workers filled the pothole in. Picture: JPIMedia
Council workers filled the pothole in. Picture: JPIMedia

Transport convenor Lesley MacInnes said: “Thanks to a member of the public who reported this road defect, our roads team were able to identify the issue immediately and repair it today. We would encourage anyone who spots a problem on any street to report it on our web page, so we can manage repairs effectively.

“We know that problems like potholes and damaged surfaces can cause real issues for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, which is why we invest millions of pounds each year in maintaining the network. Thanks to a preventative approach we’re beginning to see improvements, though we know there’s still work to do.”

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