Citroën Repairs Potholes in the UK but Not in France

Citroën has launched a demagogic campaign among our British neighbors by highlighting potholes. Beware of backlash.

British motorists have reason to roll their eyes: according to data collected through a freedom of information request initiated by Citroën UK, 1 in 20 roads in the UK requires urgent repair due to potholes. This alarming statistic has prompted the French brand to reach into its pockets… across the Channel.

The survey conducted by Citroën shows a staggering backlog in many local councils. In Shropshire, motorists will have to wait at least three years for all reported holes to be addressed. In other areas, such as Pembrokeshire or Clackmannanshire, it will already take a full year to catch up on the delay.
Nationally, the ALARM report estimates that upgrading the British road network will take twelve years of work and £16.8 billion.

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Up to three years to fill all the holes

Enough to make the shock absorbers shudder… except perhaps those of Citroën, since the brand conveniently reminds us that its Advanced Comfort® program is designed to smooth out roads that resemble a lunar landscape.

To move from theory to practice – and to shine a spotlight on its expertise – Citroën has decided to support the municipal council of Gateshead, in the northeast of England. Specifically, the brand is financing a whole week of repairs, which means around 250 m² of road will be restored.

The municipality has just equipped itself with the famed Pothole Pro, a three-in-one machine that cuts, cleans, and prepares the repair area up to four times faster than traditional methods. With this tool and Citroën’s financial support, Gateshead hopes to double its restoration pace by 2025.

A great operation… but why not in France?

While the initiative is praised locally, one cannot help but smile at this very philanthropic… yet very British approach. 
After all: Citroën, a flagship of the French industry, repairing English roads before those in its own country?
 This will make more than one French driver smile, accustomed to zigzagging around the potholes we have here. Perhaps this operation will serve as a trial balloon before a “tour of France of potholes” funded by the brand? We can dream.

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