A furious bus tour owner says his business is being damaged by potholes waist-deep that you can stand in.
Stuart Ross, 54, says he had to cancel all of his bookings until the end of high season in July – because of the ‘horrific’ state of the U70 road in Sutherland, Scotland.
He has invested over £60,000 into his bus service which transports people across the rural Scottish Highlands. Now Mr Ross wants compensation from the council for the damage the potholes have done to his business.
The route, 11 miles long, starts on the U70 road and finishes at the Cape Wrath Lighthouse.
It used to take Mr Ross around 40 minutes to drive the route but now he is unable to make it at all due to extreme safety and damage concerns.
Stuart Ross (pictured inside a pothole), 54, says he had to cancel all of his bookings until the end of high season in July – because of the ‘horrific’ state of the U70 road in Sutherland, Scotland. Some of which are a waist-deep
The damaged road is impacting Mr Ross’s business and now he wants compensation from the council for the damage the potholes have done
Usually the business is able to take tourists on the island from May until the end of September – but Mr Ross claims they are now only able to operate for two and a half months – out of the entire year for tourism.
He said: ‘The first three years is make or break in business – it’s my second year – which I haven’t even been able to start and I’ve already ploughed over 60 grand into this business and I’m getting no return.
‘This is how serious it is.
‘We have had no response from the council – the local councillor has even been ignored by the council!’
Mr Ross operates four 16-seater buses on his Cape Wrath Mini Bus service, which carry about 5,000 passengers over a season.
The single track road was hand-built back in 1828 originally as a stone track.
Mr Ross says in 1950s a layer of tarmac was layered on top, but when water starts to get under the track, the tarmac lifts and the stone gets washed away underneath – leaving gaping holes.
He explained: ‘One section is about 50 yards long and it has one side with a whole bit of the road ripped out, about the length of a minibus, but when you pass that there is another hole in the road on the other side!
Usually the business is able to take tourists on the island from May until the end of September – but Mr Ross claims they are now only able to operate for two and a half months – out of the entire year for tourism
The route, 11 miles long, starts on the U70 road and finishes at the Cape Wrath Lighthouse. Mr Ross operates four 16-seater buses on his Cape Wrath Mini Bus service, which carry about 5,000 passengers over a season
‘At one point both sides are completely out.
‘That’s why I can’t run my business, I cannot have tourists on my bus there is no way I’m subjecting the tourists to that mess and its unsafe for me and them.
‘There are potholes everywhere that look like bomb craters.
‘It is one thing taking a couple of workers and engineers up to lighthouse, but a bus full of happy campers on holiday and you have to take them through that!?’
According to Stuart, there has ‘always been an issue with the road – going back to when time began’.
Stuart says the road has ‘always’ been getting repaired by the council because it is a council public road.
He explained: ‘They would do patches here and there and generally keep on top of it.
‘But in 2015 we had a hell of a storm that washed part of the road away.
‘We only got so far up the road with a bus full of people because a whole section of one side of the road was missing!
‘We’re talking a chunk of the road two feet deep two feet wide that was not there, and it hasn’t been sorted.’
Highland Council said it was aware of the poor condition of the road and was working towards a temporary solution for the summer tourist season.
A spokesperson said: ‘It is a challenging location to deliver road repairs and maintenance using traditional methods and the council is therefore exploring alternatives for effecting longer term repairs.
MailOnline has approached Highland Council for a comment.
In April, Transport Secretary Mark Harper revealed nearly one in six councils have not lodged plans for how they intend to spend extra Government cash for mending roads.
In April, Transport Secretary Mark Harper revealed nearly one in six councils have not lodged plans for how they intend to spend extra Government cash for mending roads
The deadline was March and it means future funding could now be withheld.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, which has campaigned for an end to the pothole plague, Mr Harper warned roads would be ‘worse and more pothole-ridden’ under a Labour government because the party secretly plans to divert £8.3billion earmarked for highways into HS2.
The pot was set aside under £36billion in savings after the Government last year scrapped the high-speed rail project’s northern leg from Birmingham to Manchester.
Mr Harper claims that Labour will resurrect the HS2 project and he went on to allege that there would be worse roads and more potholes under Labour.