A senior SNP politician has warned of reaching “crisis point” after it emerged that Tayside and Fife have cut spending on roads by 12%.
The region’s councils spent £86m last year on roads and winter maintenance, compared with £98m in 2011/12.
A Transport Scotland chief told MSPs on Thursday that under-investment in the local network could see road conditions “fall off a cliff”.
Colin Mair, the chairman of the Roads Collaboration Programme Board, which was set up to help councils work closer together, told Holyrood’s public audit committee that road surfaces across Scotland are “undoubtedly deteriorating”, particularly in urban areas.
“In recognition of concerns over local road condition in England, the UK Government Chancellor has chosen to invest in the local roads network in England. A similar allocation to Scotland’s local roads would be timely,” he said.
Alex Neil, the SNP MSP, warned of reaching a “crisis point” if councils continue reducing spending on roads.
He added: “Are they not cutting their noses off to spite their face?”
Hugh Gillies, a Transport Scotland director, replied: “Can we continue the way we are going as a country? No we cannot.”
Scotland’s roads “need investment”, Mr Gillies said, but added there are positives in that local authorities have “managed to maintain the condition of the roads at a fairly stable level”.
But he warned: “There is potential with under-investment that at some point that falls off a cliff.”
Across Scotland, councils are spending just one-fifth of the amount on roads and winter maintenance than they did in 2011/12. Audit Scotland said last year that squeezed council budgets mean funding for roads maintenance was being diverted to areas such as social care and education.
The Scottish Government has cut core grants to local authorities by £327m in the draft budget for 2017/18, but the Finance Secretary says that the total funding package makes councils better off.
Perth & Kinross Council made headlines last year when it changed the definition of a pothole in an attempt to reduce maintenance costs.
Liz Smith, the Perthshire-based MSP, called on councils to invest in roads.
“It’s no secret that rural and urban roads across the region are littered with potholes and other such defects which only get worse over winter,” the Conservative added.
Councils have said spending will fluctuate depending on the weather.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesman said it is one of only 13 Scottish councils which increased spending on last year.
Fife councillor John Wincott said its higher spending on carriageway maintenance had lifted it from 16th to 10th in a council league table for road conditions.
Dundee City Council has said its focus on quality improvements has reduced the number of potholes in the city. An Angus Council spokesman said they are in the top quartile across Scotland for road condition.
