Norwich Tops eBay’s Pothole Index, Revealing UK’s Worst Roads

A recent Pothole Index, developed by eBay’s Car Parts & Accessories team, has unveiled Norwich as the city with the most dismal road conditions in the UK. The index utilised sales data from purchases of parts susceptible to pothole damage, such as wheels, tires, and hubcaps, to identify the towns and cities with the greatest need for road repairs.

Photo by Matt Hoffman on Unsplash

By examining the demand for these vulnerable items in relation to population size, Norwich, located in Norfolk, emerged as the city with the highest number of purchases per capita in the country. Following closely behind were Lincoln in Lincolnshire and Chesterfield in Derbyshire, with Preston in Lancashire and Tamworth in Staffordshire completing the top five.

The Pothole Problem

Recognising the urgency of addressing the pothole problem, the government announced an additional £200 million in funding for highway maintenance for the financial year 2023–2024. This supplementary budget aims to alleviate the widespread issue and is in addition to the existing allocation for highway maintenance.

Interestingly, despite Norwich claiming the undesirable distinction of topping the eBay Pothole Index, motorists in Norfolk, the Local Authority responsible for road upkeep, will receive £6,356,800 this year to mend potholes, securing the fifth-largest share of the additional £200 million budget. Lincolnshire, on the other hand, will receive an even more substantial sum of £6,884,000, ranking second among the recipients of the additional spending, with only Devon receiving a larger share.

eBay Pothole Index

Dr. Tony Tong, eBay’s Head of Automotive, commented on the findings, stating, “Our exclusive eBay Pothole Index reveals that drivers in Norwich and nearby Lincoln purchase more new wheels, tires, and associated parts than anywhere else in the UK, suggesting that their roads cause the most damage to these vulnerable components.”

He further added, “Despite this, it’s not all bad news for motorists. The six most affected towns and cities identified in the eBay Pothole Index all fall within Local Authorities that rank among the 15 major beneficiaries of the recently announced £200 million increase in road…