PROBLEM potholes around East Hampshire have been hitting taxi firms in the pocket.
The severe weather throughout the winter months has ravaged roads all over Bordon and Petersfield, causing uncomfortable journeys for many motorists.
Among those suffering the most are taxi companies who have been forced to cough up hundreds of po
unds to repair their vehicles as a result of damage caused by the holes.
Sandra Handy, of A & D Taxis in Chalet Hill, Bordon, fumed: "If the potholes get any bigger around here, they'll have to start building bridges over them."
She said the potholes "were all over the place" and especially big and dangerous on all roads leading out from Bordon to Liphook – particularly the Hollywater Road, as well as near the old fire station on the road to Lindford.
Sandra said her husband Alex, who runs A & D Taxis, became a cropper recently when his Peugeot 807 taxi bounced into a pothole, and the car's CV joint boot – a protective rubber device which fits underneath the car to protect it from obstacles in the road – was "completely ripped to shreds" by the impact and cost him more than £80 to repair.
Sandra said: "There are potholes wherever we go and they are getting bigger all the time. It's really too bad – something must be done to repair our local roads quickly."
James Whiffin, owner of Bordon Cars in Aspen Close, Whitehill, was equally angry – especially since last Friday, when his taxi's suspension and spring mountings were completely destroyed by a large pothole on the A335 going out of Bordon towards Frith End.
He said: "I'm absolutely fed up with the state of the roads. These potholes are becoming worse and worse. I have tried contacting the council before about the problem, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere."
Repairs to the vehicle have been estimated at £600 – but because Mr Whiffin runs a commercial taxi business, he has to pay an excess of £500 towards the repairs.
He said: "It's not worth claiming the remaining £100, as I will then lose my no claims bonus."
Across Petersfield, taxi drivers felt Cranford Road, West Harting and Durford Road were areas particularly blighted by the problem.
Barry Winter, of Barry's Taxi Service, said: "Basically it is everywhere.
"It is just a total nightmare on all of the roads.
"It has never been as bad as it is now because the roads have not been maintained. The water has got in there, frozen and pushed out the tarmac."
Mr Winter observed the situation across the border in West Sussex was better than Hampshire, with more work having been done there to fix the problems.
He said: "West Sussex County Council seem to have got its act together, but over here in the Petersfield area and the Hampshire County Council area it is terrible.
"They might come along with a little bit of tarmac and within two or three days its the same all over again.
"You have got potholes in Rival Moor Road up towards the council offices.
"Durford Road and Heath Road are a nightmare and when you turn off from Langrish out towards East Meon, that's when I damaged one of my tyres."
He added: "It is worse when it has rained. You think it is a puddle and the next thing you hear a bang and you have gone through a huge pothole."
Hampshire County Council has called in a network of 50 gangs to go out and fix potholes across the county, armed with high speed patching machines capable of fixing 2,000 potholes a week.
Council leader Ken Thornber said: "The impact of this exceptionally severe weather with very cold temperatures, snow and ice, and then melting snow and rain has been undeniably damaging to our roads.
"Clearly we will need to look at our plans and budget in light of this but our immediate priority is to make the roads safe and useable again and this is why we have brought in extra resources to fix the worst of the problems as quickly as possible."
Residents can report potholes to the council on line at www.hants.gov.uk/roads or by phone on 0845 603 5633.
