NEW cameras will be fitted to York bin wagons to help detect potholes before they happen.

City of York Council has been chosen as one of two authorities to receive a share of a £1.2bn government pot and take part in a one-year trial of the new cameras.

The high-definition cameras are used to identify road surface problems before they become potholes, so the council can respond to dangerous defects quicker, reducing the number of compensation claims.

Cllr Ian Gillies, executive member for transport and planning, said: “We welcome investment in this pioneering technology which will hopefully allow the council to reduce the amount of money spent fixing potholes each year by repairing road surface defects before they escalate into potholes.”

York Press:

The trial will be monitored remotely and the council said it will “allow for accurate and more frequent surveying of the local road network”.

The cameras will also include special navigation systems and “intelligent software” to pinpoint the areas of the city’s roads which need work.

A council spokesman said: “The trial is also expected to identify wider efficiencies in how the council’s highways maintenance service is managed.It is expected that by using the data collected, the council will be able to respond to dangerous defects across the network quicker, hopefully leading to a reduction in the number of compensation claims.”