While we tend to think of a pothole as an unsightly, uncomfortable nuisance that we hate to fall into, all contact with potholes, no matter how small, cause damage to a car.

This damage may indeed be small, but over time it adds up. Components directly affected by potholes include: tyres, rims, control arms and bushings, shock absorbers, batteries, lights, engine mounts, ball joints, bearings, brakes, steering systems, radio/CD player, and many others not so obvious.

The shockwave sent through the car causes metal fatigue and premature aging of the car’s frame, causing rattles and compromising safety. Other resulting problems are excessive braking, dust nuisance which causes air filters to be blocked pre-maturely, and premature wear on an engine.

It is very difficult to estimate the cost of the damage caused by each contact with a pothole, but let’s assume that it is $100. If we estimate that there are 500,000 cars in Jamaica and each hit a pothole two times per day, on average, that totals a staggering $36billion per year. Over time this cost shows up as shortened component life, increased fuel consumption, shakes, squeaks, rattles, and all kinds of funny noises in a vehicle.

The cost to keep our roads pothole-free

Some years ago government promised that the country would be “pothole-free by 2003”. A nice catchy phrase, but today, almost eight years later, our roads are in the worst condition they have been, for a long time.

The National Works Agency (NWA) is currently planning to spend some $34billion on road repairs over the next few years, which will hopefully put a dent in the problem. But, if the shabby repairs that we are used to are repeated, then it will be a waste of money. What kind of warranty will we have on these repair jobs: five years, 10 years? Will a proper maintenance program be put in after this project?

I am informed that it costs approximately $4,000 to repair a pothole of one square metre. At this cost, why are potholes allowed to remain so long knowing that the longer they last the bigger they get and the more damage they do.

I have been watching some major potholes on our main roads for some time. For instance, on the road linking Harbour View to downtown Kingston, these pot holes have disabled several vehicles causing possibly millions of dollars in damage every week, while putting people’s lives in danger.

Utility companies

Utility companies, especially the National Water Commission (NWC) have been a major problem for our roads.

It is beyond comprehension why, when they dig up roads, they are not required to reinstate it to its original design quality within a few days, and provide a warranty.

I have seen several roads after been dug up, taking several weeks to be resurfaced, and in most cases the resurfacing job is of extremely poor quality.

The popular repair method seems to be, leveling the road with marl then placing a thin coat of asphalt on top. This leaves humps in the road rather than a flat surface. These multiple humps are not only uncomfortable to drive on but also overwork a car’s suspension system and shorten its life. It is my understanding that asphalt thickness should be a minimum of three inches for major roads.

On the recent Barbican Road-NWC job I have noticed small potholes six inches from where repairs were done only a few weeks ago. At $4,000 per square metre, this $1,000 oversight will eventually destroy the road, again. It only takes a shower of rain, and some tyres.

I have seen telecommunications companies dig up main roads to lay cable and a few months later the location has sunk inches below the original road surface. One case on Oxford Road in Kingston developed into a huge pothole. Again, where is the warranty?

Motorists’ Bill of Rights

In Jamaica we pay among the highest in the world for our cars as government taxes are among the highest anywhere. It is time for motorists to demand better roads; organisations such as the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) should take the lead in this effort to demand a ‘Bill of Rights’ for motorists.

The damage done by poor roads is many times larger than the cost to properly maintain those roads. But repairs should be done properly so they will survive the next shower of rain and contractors must be required to provide a five-to-10-year warranty on these jobs.

As motorists paying a lot of taxes, maybe we should start suing the NWA when potholes damage our vehicles. And until the government can guarantee us properly maintained roads, it is ‘highway robbery’ to be collecting 27 per cent import duty on the parts that are been damaged by our roads. (Is there a conspiracy here?)

Motorists should demand the removal of import duty on car-parts, particularly on components such as tyres and suspension parts that are directly damaged by potholes and bad roads.

Let’s make it “Pothole free by end 2011”. This doesn’t sound as sexy but our cars and our pockets will love it.

Andrew Jackson is the CEO of Jetcon Corporation and past president of the Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association. The views expressed do not reflect those of the JUCDA.