Glasgow’s most pothole-ridden roads have been revealed - as new figures show the council has paid out over half a million pounds to drivers in compensation claims.
The settlements – which total £534,000 since 2019 - includes one 12-month period where just over £160,000 was coughed up by the local authority to motorists.
The data, released through a Freedom of Information request to Glasgow City Council, shows that some of the city’s busiest routes - including Great Western Road, Paisley Road West, Dumbarton Road and the Clyde Tunnel - have generated the highest number of claims in the past seven years. Other frequently cited blackspots include Aikenhead Road, Barrhead Road, Cumbernauld Road and Eglinton Street.
The others on the league of shame were Archerhill Road, Broomfield Road, Braidcraft Road, Brockburn Road, Boclair Road, the Clydeside Expressway, Cowcaddens Road, Carmunock Road, Cilhill Road, Duntreath Avenue and Kennishead Road. Also listed were Edinburgh Road, Fifty Pitches Road and Polmadie Road.
The figures highlight a growing and continuing strain on Glasgow’s road network, with pothole-related claims rising sharply. In 2019, just 726 were submitted but by 2024 that number had climbed to 2,785, almost a fourfold increase.
Compensation payouts to drivers have also soared. The council paid out just under £15,000 in 2019 but this had risen to £169,271 in 2023, the highest total in the seven-year period covered by the FOI, with a further £124,277 paid out in 2025.
However, only a proportion of the claims are successful.
Council chiefs say that drivers will soon see a difference in the road network due to £119m investment package that will support resurfacing on over 800 city streets.
In 2024, the peak year for complaints, 817 reports resulted in compensation settlements, while 824 claims were rejected. The most common reason given was that the council had adhered to its inspection regime, a key legal defence that allows it to deny liability if roads have been inspected and maintained in line with policy.
Average payouts remain relatively modest, typically ranging between £260 and £350 per successful claim. The largest individual payment recorded was £5,325 in 2025, involving a high-value vehicle which hit a pothole on Maryhill Road in the north of the city. The data shows higher payouts are often linked to more expensive cars or cases involving insurers or legal costs.
The wider scale of the pothole problem is reflected in road defect reports, which regularly exceed 20,000 a year. The council however says that these include duplicates, meaning the number of actual potholes is lower. It also does not hold comprehensive data on how many potholes are permanently repaired, particularly when work is carried out as part of larger resurfacing programmes.
Spending on road maintenance has fluctuated between £9.9 million and £16.5 million annually over the same period, with the highest investment recorded in 2023/24. This includes both routine maintenance and larger capital projects, rather than just pothole fixes.
Officials say weather has played a significant role in deteriorating road conditions, with harsh winters and heavy rainfall contributing.
The council says it does not benchmark its performance on pothole claims against other local authorities and holds no comparative national data. It is also unable to provide figures on the cost of administering claims, including staffing and legal expenses.
With several of Glasgow’s key routes highlighted by the FOI, questions have been asked about how effectively the city’s roads are being maintained - and whether enough is being done to prevent the damage in the first place.
Drumchapel and Anniesland Councillor Paul Carey BEM said: “It is concerning that some of Glasgow’s busiest routes, like the Clyde Tunnel, Great Western Road and Paisley Road West, have the biggest pothole problems.
“The issue clearly is city-wide though and there needs to be a commitment made to invest in our traffic network as a priority to complete repairs before they become, quite literally, bigger problems.”
A council spokesperson said they are now stepping up a major, three-year investment programme in Glasgow’s road network.
They added: ““The number of pothole reports we receive fluctuates, depending on environmental factors such volume of traffic, ice and rain, with the winter often a damaging time for road surfaces.
“Potholes can appear suddenly at any time and our responsibility is to ensure we have an appropriate system of road safety inspections and repairs that tackles the most dangerous faults as a matter of priority.
“We are now stepping up a major, 3-year investment programme in Glasgow’s road network that will see an extra £20m allocated for road carriageway maintenance.
“It’s part of an overall £119m investment package in the city’s roads network that will support resurfacing on over 800 city streets.
“Road users will see a noticeable reduction in potholes as a result of this investment programme, which will include improvements to footways, street lighting, drainage and structures.”
“We always seek to undertake first time permanent repairs wherever possible and these can take time to organise.
“All pothole claims are determined on the merits of the individual case and within the context of our roads inspection and repairs policy.
“The presence of a pothole on the roads network does not necessarily create a liability on behalf of the council.”
