A lack of cash may slow efforts to repair Bermuda’s roads, a government backbencher has warned.

Christopher Famous said in an opinion piece published inThe Royal Gazette today, that the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic would continue into 2022 and cause spending cuts in some areas.

Mr Famous added: “Increased spending, coupled with decreased revenue, equates to the deficits that we have seen for far too long.

“The stark reality is that capital spending will have to be cut in order to direct funds to other avenues.

“So those potholes, broken railings, and overgrown cane grass may very well not get attended to in the short term.”

Susan Jackson, the Shadow Minister of Transport, said last week it was unacceptable that some roads had been left in a “deplorable state” after trenching work.

A transport ministry spokesman said in September that much of the surfacing at roadworks around the island was temporary.

The spokesman added that roads needed time to “settle” before they were resurfaced and advised road users to proceed with caution.

Curtis Dickinson, the Minister of Finance, earlier this year said that capital expenditure was cut in the 2021-22 financial year in a bid to meet the budget deficit target of $124.7 million.

He explained that capital expenditure was already lower than predicted because of the pandemic.

Mr Dickinson did not outline projects that would be affected.

He added that a pre-Budget report was expected to be delivered in January, which would detail how he would meet budget targets.