Pothole issues in Scotland would be tackled by investing £20 million per year on the issue, according to the Scottish Conservatives.

In a pre-election pledge, Party Leader Ruth Davidson said she would set aside £100m in a Roads Maintenance Fund over the term of the next Scottish Parliament.

Ms Davidson claimed this would give local authorities enough funding to address the problem while also saving money for the future as councils reduce compensation pay-outs.

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Under the initiative, councils would identify their own pothole problem, then apply for funding to repair the issue.

A recent survey revealed 80% of Scottish drivers had swerved to avoid potholes, higher than the overall UK average.

While the UK Government invests millions of pounds in a specific pothole fund, this is not replicated in Scotland. Overall, the fund would help fill-in nearly two million potholes over the next five years.

Ms Davidson said: "Campaigning across the country, the terrible state of the nation's roads is clear to see. It is one of the top doorstep issues and 80 per cent of Scottish drivers say they've had to swerve to avoid a pothole in recent weeks.

"It's clear we need action to fix our road infrastructure. That's why we'd set up a £100 million Scottish Road Maintenance Fund to repair our roads over the course of the next parliament."

(LM)