A mobility scooter user toppled over after hitting a pothole and falling in an incident witnessed by Natasha Asghar, a member of the Welsh Parliament, who has since called for urgent action to address the poor condition of roads across her constituency.
Ms Asghar said: "Residents are understandably fed-up with the current state of many of our roads, and potholes are a major issue in my Newport and Islwyn constituency.
"Only recently I witnessed a woman using a mobility scooter topple over as she hit a pothole whilst trying to cross the road.
"Thankfully, she was OK, but the outcome could’ve been a lot worse.
"Potholes are not only posing danger to motorists, but all road users."
Ms Asghar raised the incident at the Senedd this week, urging the Welsh Government to provide extra funding for councils to carry out essential repairs.
Speaking after her comments in parliament, she said she had already lobbied Newport City Council to improve specific problem routes but believes much more investment is urgently needed.
She said: "Whilst I have successfully lobbied Newport City Council to repair certain stretches of road peppered with potholes, it is clear that much more needs to be done.
"Not only do we need to see a prompter response from local authorities, but we need to see the Welsh Government provide extra funding to ensure our roads are fit for purpose.
"Roads are essential to our daily lives, and it is imperative they are in a fit state, and that’s exactly what I will continue to fight for."
The issue is not limited to Newport, with national figures highlighting the wider impact of the UK’s deteriorating road surfaces.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "Our country without roads is nothing.
"Ninety per cent of freight goes by road and 86 per cent of passenger journeys are by road.
"If we didn’t have the roads, the country would be at a standstill.
"There would be no goods in our shops, no exports, and people wouldn’t get to work.
"This isn’t a periphery issue - this is the number one issue."
Mr King criticised the "patch and run" approach to pothole repairs, describing it as short-term and ineffective.
He said: "Last year our patrols were called out to 617,000 pothole-related incidents - punctures, damaged wheels, steering and suspension damage.
"For drivers, it is the worst feeling: dark nights, wet roads, puddles, you can’t see the pothole, and then you hear the bang."
He argued that full resurfacing is often more cost-effective and longer lasting than temporary repairs.
He said: "You can’t just keep filling in holes if the road has gone.
"You need to resurface that section of road.
"In the long term that is more cost-effective because you are called out less often, there are fewer compensation claims, and the repair lasts longer.
"It is not rocket science to fix the roads, and yet we are doing a bad job of it."
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