Inadequate. That’s how David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, recently summed up the state of the island’s roads.

In fact, Colonel Burch was so frustrated by the number of potholes that cratered stretches of tarmac that he said he often pulled over on his daily commute to work to call in the location of a pothole that he had just spotted in order to a get a work crew on the scene as soon as possible.

Speaking in the House of Assembly last November, Colonel Burch invited other aggravated motorists to e-mail his ministry with details of any potholes that they had encountered.

The problem was exacerbated by heavy rains at the end of last month, causing cracks to widen and holes to form. Potholes are formed by three elements: surface cracks, water and traffic.

Small surface cracks form and expand over time with the action of traffic. Water then seeps through the surface of the cracked pavement, causing further deterioration.

And as these recent photographs show, the hazard has not gone away, despite the best efforts of Public Works crews.

Motorists can report the location of any potholes by e-mailing the Ministry of Public Works at potholes@gov.bm.

• What’s your view about this issue? Have potholes caused problems for you when you are out driving? Do you think it has got worse? What do you think needs doing? E-mail your views to news@royalgazette.com