Q) How many council workers does it take to f ill a pothole...?
A) Eight, over nearly 3 days, and at a cost to the taxpayer of £3,500!
IT sounds like a question more akin to a joke you might find in a Christmas cracker: How many council workers does it take to fill a pothole?
The answer in one particular case in Edinburgh has sparked outrage – and it’s certainly no laughing matter.
We can reveal that it took eight workers the equivalent of two-and-a-half days, costing taxpayers around £3,500, to repair a rutted patch of a busy street in the capital this year.
Edinburgh City Council’s roads department also deployed a fleet of six vehicles, comprising 18 and 7.5-ton lorries, a Ford Ranger, Ford Transit, a further ‘goods vehicle’ and a JCB Pothole Pro machine to the job in Old Dalkeith Road.
Consumer expert Scott Dixon, who uncovered the figures, described them as ‘scandalous’, and said that it left him ‘gobsmacked’.
He said: ‘If this is what it takes to fill one defect, it’s no surprise council tax bills are so high.’
Local resident Mr Dixon, who specialises in resolving motoring and roads-related complaints, said: ‘What stood out for me was the fact that they needed so many vehicles. The purpose of hiring and deploying a Pothole Pro machine is to cut costs and save money.
‘This does not appear to be the case here, with taxpayers in my opinion being ripped off on what is a relatively small repair.
‘It is a scandal for Edinburgh City Council to give eight operatives over 60 hours to fix a defect like this. It represents poor value for money. The amount of resources and time spent on this one job left me gobsmacked.’
The council said that ‘labour costs’ were £2,175 with ‘eight operatives’ carrying out the repair which took 60.5 ‘total working hours’.
Other expenses included vehicles and materials. Plant costs, including a saw, compactor, roller, trailer and a ‘welfare van’, added £274. People living in the city have seen their council tax bills hiked by 5 per cent in recent months with further increases anticipated next year.
Local Tory MSP Sue Webber said: ‘Edinburgh residents will be raising their eyebrows at the costs involved in repairing this single pothole. The council should be focused on ensuring they deliver value for money for taxpayers.’
However, Councillor Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener, said: ‘This repair covered 237 square feet, rather than a single pothole, and using the Pothole Pro allowed for a higher level of quality control.
‘Given the traffic sensitivity of this key route to Edinburgh’s biggest hospital and its impact on the bus network, this work had to be carried out on either a night shift or a Sunday.
‘The cost was in line with the average for such schemes. Council tax levels remain lower than cities like Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.’