ROAD safety experts have called for action to tackle Renfrewshire’s pothole epidemic.

The plea comes after The Gazette discovered the amount of cash being spent on repairs to the area’s crumbling carriageways has been consistently cut over the past five years.

Council chiefs have pledged to make a record investment in road maintenance over the next year.

However, the local authority has been slammed for leaving drivers to pay the price by repeatedly cutting back on road repairs since 2012/13.

In that year, £1.4million was spent on pothole repairs but the figure dropped to £1.3m in 2013/14 and then £1m in 2014/15.

Although spending increased slightly to £1.1m in 2015/16, it dipped below the £1m mark in 2016/17, when just £980,000 was spent.

Neil Greig, policy and research director at road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, urged Renfrewshire Council to tackle the repairs backlog.

He told The Gazette: “Following such a bad winter, it is crucial that extra funding is found or the council will end up having to spend more in the long run.

“If you don’t fix a leaking roof, it will eventually fall in.”

Tom Wallace, chairman of Johnstone Community Council, said he has noticed a growing sense of anger over the state of roads in the area over the last six months.

He added: “It’s not just the potholes that are being commented on by residents, it’s also the poor quality of the repairs being made.”

Council chiefs have confirmed that a total of £7.2m has been set aside for road maintenance in the coming year but were unable to say how much will be spent on potholes.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, Renfrewshire’s roads convener, said: “We will continue to look at innovative ways of repairing roads in Renfrewshire and have already committed to this by agreeing to research how using plastic materials for roads could be a possible solution.

“All work on Renfrewshire roads will have to be examined during and after completion to ensure quality standards are being met.

“With a new financial year beginning, there is a high volume of roadworks and repairs to be done. We will ensure that this challenging task is carried out in a manner that minimises disruption to traffic.

“Investment in Renfrewshire’s roads is a high priority for this SNP administration and this will continue to be the case in the years ahead.”