Edinburgh roads: Council names top 10 streets with most complaints about potholes

Edinburgh’s worst streets for potholes have been named by the city council.

And top of the table is Queensferry Road, the main route from the city centre to the Queensferry Crossing and over to Fife and beyond.

Edinburgh city council has named the top 10 streets for pothole complaints - the worst is Queensferry Road

In response to a Freedom of Information request from Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs, the council listed the 10 streets with the most complaints about potholes. 

The top 10 are:

1. Queensferry Road - 348

2. Riccarton Mains Road - 292

3. Lanark Road West - 233

4. Ferry Road - 207

5. Craiglockhart Avenue - 184

6. West Granton Road - 183

7. Claylands Road - 182

8. Calder Road - 180

9. Long Dalmahoy Road - 166

10. Glasgow Road - 163

It comes as the Tories revealed more than 100,000 potholes have been reported on Scotland’s roads in less than a year.                                                                                                                          

They said responses to Freedom of Information requests to councils across the country showed that 108,256 potholes were recorded by 29 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities between April 2023 and February 2024, an an increase of almost 15 per cent on the figure two years earlier.

But the Tories said despite the “shocking” figures, the true rise was almost certainly greater, given that the latest total does not cover the full financial year.

Edinburgh emerged with the most complaints so far for 2023/24 out of all Scottish councils - a total of 17,191 reports of potholes

The Tories claimed the figures were the “inevitable consequence” of the “brutal” funding cuts, which had left Scotland’s local authorities unable to afford essential road repairs. And they said the “dire state” of Scotland’s roads was a key general election issue.

Mr Briggs, said: “Edinburgh has a shockingly high number of potholes across the city, with the majority of streets in disrepair.  These figures show the worst offending streets for potholes, which are unsurprisingly some of Edinburgh’s busiest roads.

“Potholes cause hazards on the road, increasing the chance of an accident, as well as causing damage to motorist’s cars. Repeated cuts to council budgets by SNP ministers mean that they simply don’t have the resources to keep on top of potholes.

“Scottish Conservatives have pledged to reduce potholes in Edinburgh and across Scotland as one of their top priorities.”

He said he had previously called or the council to make increased use of the Pothole Pro - a machine dubbed the “pothole killer” hired by the council on a trial - to speed up tackling the problem. The council has now agreed to buy the machine and also a second.

Edinburgh transport convener Scott Arthur said: “I absolutely accept that road and footway conditions in the city are not what they should be - that's why we doubled the budget for maintenance last year and have increased it again this year.

“Over the term of this administration we will be spending an additional £45 million to try and get the city back on track.”