Boris Johnson admits he’s failed over London roadworks
Boris Johnson today admitted it was proving "incredibly difficult" to reduce the number of roadworks in London.
The Mayor said he had a "complex" about delivering on his promise to cut the amount of digging taking place.
Road users have been infuriated by a record 370,000 sets of roadworks — the equivalent of each of the capital's estimated 85,000 streets being dug up four times on average in the last 12 months.
Mr Johnson told BBC Radio: "Let me put my hands up to this one. I had an unnecessary Messiah complex and though I could really solve this with the wave of a wand. It has proved incredibly difficult."
He said the problem, made worse by bad weather and Thames Water repairs, would only be solved with the introduction of a lane rental scheme for utilities firms and councils. Latest figures reveal the number of potholes on London roads soared from 79,299 cracks and craters last year to 121,299 in 2009-10 — a 57 per cent increase.
The cost of repairs also soared with the capital's 33 boroughs spending £8.3 million.
