National’s Pothole of the Week campaign is shining a light on just how bad New Zealand’s roads have become under Labour, and this includes our rural and regional roads, National’s Associate Transport spokesperson Matt Doocey says.

“The potholes around rural New Zealand are driving Kiwis crazy as our roads become billy-goat tracks. People are sick of the havoc this is causing their vehicles, and they’re telling us things are the worst they’ve seen them.

“The pothole photos are coming in from across the country and it’s not a pretty picture.

“From Cape Reinga in the Far North to Bluff in Invercargill, and all the rural and regional roads in between, the potholes are just dire.

“For people driving on rural highways, if a pothole causes serious damage to their vehicle in an area where there is limited cellphone coverage, they could be waiting hours for help.

“Kiwis are desperate to get the Government’s attention on this, using spray cans, taking a dip in the potholes and even some DIY concrete filling.

“While they should be repaired professionally, the frustration at the delay in pothole repairs is fair enough.

“It seems that Labour is so busy with their pet projects in Auckland and Wellington that they are missing out on doing the basics right in our regions.

“I could count on one hand the number of rural Kiwis in Canterbury and Southland who want to see up to $29.2 billion spent on Auckland light rail, but I don’t have enough hands for all the concerns about potholes.

“Transport Minister Michael Wood needs to fix our rural and regional potholes and stop wasting money on his pet projects.”

People can sign National’s petition at national.org.nz/fixthepotholes and send in their photos of potholes in their community via the National Party Facebook page.