A Highland motorist is appealing to Highland Council to take action to address the state of the roads on Skye as car windscreens crack amidst the conditions.
Sam Bilner, from Plockton, regularly makes the 60-mile journey to visit his parents in Glendale, on the west coast of the island.
The 32-year-old engineer acknowledges that some steps have been taken to repair some of the major potholes and defects on the roads.
However, he says more work is needed to address the root of the problem.
Tourists venturing to the island have taken to social media to criticise the conditions, with some describing the potholes as “sink holes.”
Skye councillor Ruraidh Stewart took to his social media page to criticise Highland Council for failing rural communities.
He wrote: “It is no secret that chronic underinvestment has left our roads in a shameful condition.
“The budget allocated for our ward is inadequate to keep pace with the deterioration and remedial works that are required, so in effect, our roads are likely to deteriorate further.
“Highland Council in its current form is not fit for purpose as it has been unable to deliver on the priorities of our communities.”
‘Nothing is going to happen until a serious accident’
To help address the issue, Mr Bilner has now created a new information poster, designed to point locals, visitors and tourists in the right direction if faced with a road-related problem.
The poster, which has already received widespread attention, provides details of the various garages trading across Skye as well as who to contact to report potholes and claim compensation.
Carbost community shop has placed a copy of the poster in their window, meanwhile, other accommodation providers have chosen to include it in their information pack for paying guests.
Mr Bilner hopes his poster will help speed up efforts to tidy up the island’s road network.
He said: “The concern is that nothing is going to happen until a serious accident happens – for instance, someone trying to avoid a pothole.
“There has been work that has been done on some of the bad bits I would travel on around Sligachan, which is halfway up Skye, on the run to my parents. However, I think all they have been doing is putting tar on top and not really dealing with the issues underneath.
“All it’s going to take is another cold snap and we’ll be in a bad position again.
“The poster was created to help tourists, visitors and locals who come to Skye and do not necessarily have a clue who to turn to when they are stuck in the wilds.
“If I was visiting one of the islands up in Orkney for instance, I am not necessarily going to have access to this sort of information.
“By people sharing this in B&Bs, hotels or shops, it publicises the issue which might build momentum in getting things sorted.”
Motorists call for action to repair Skye’s potholes
Earlier this year, Mr Bilner launched a petition calling on those in charge to urgently organise the necessary repairs.
More than 1,300 people have so far pledged their support.
Angry motorists have also flocked to Facebook in recent months to share pictures of the road conditions and their impact on the Fix Skye and Lochalsh Roads group.
Glendale road was blocked earlier this week after a vehicle became stuck in a ditch while trying to avoid a pothole.
On Wednesday, a motorist showcased damage to his car windscreen after hitting a pothole on his way to and from work.
Highland Council officials confirmed road repairs are scheduled to commence as soon as weather conditions improve.
A spokesman said: “During the low temperatures Highland has experienced until this week our roads teams were only able to undertake temporary pothole repairs using cold tar and they were undertaking as many of these as they could whilst also carrying out winter gritting duties.
“Our programme of planned repairs using the Council’s jet patcher, Pot Hole Pro and other hired-in equipment will soon commence as the weather improves and when there are no frosts.
“We urge motorists to report potholes using our online ‘potholes’ form on our website at www.highland.gov.uk/report so that we can plan and prioritise the most urgent repairs.
“In the meantime, any potholes that are considered to pose a major threat to public safety are being temporarily patched.”
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