CYCLIST safety and comfort on York’s roads are set to be boosted by a new e-bike, fitted with a camera to detect potholes and other faults in cycle lanes and tracks.

The bike is the first in the country to become involved in an innovative ‘pothole spotter trial’ aimed at monitoring road conditions.

High-definition cameras have already been fitted on a bus, a van and a dustbin lorry in York to give City of York Council detailed information, so it can fill potholes and also plan resurfacing works to help prevent such road defects developing.

Transport Minister Jesse Norman examined the equipment for himself yesterday during a visit to the city, as he announced an investment of almost £200 million to help improve the condition of roads up and down the country

He said the funding would go towards repairing almost one million potholes, and would also be used for highways maintenance, developing new technologies to improve highways resilience, and high quality cycle parks.

“People need great roads to get about, do business and see friends and family,” he said.

“We’re investing record amounts at present to improve the condition of our roads, so drivers and cyclists don’t have to dodge potholes to travel safely.

“We’re also looking at how new innovations can help councils keep their roads in the best condition, saving money and planning their maintenance better.”

Cllr Ian Gillies, the council’s executive member for transport, said potholes in cycle lanes could force cyclists out into traffic, endangering their safety, and the ebike, due to be launched in the New Year, would help the authority detect and tackle such holes.

It could also detect initial problems such as cracks in the road surface, which could be rectified before they developed into potholes.

He said: “We’re really proud to be using ground-breaking technology which could change the approach to road repairs, dealing with potholes before they even happen.

“We’ve invested heavily in our digital infrastructure – and we know that we’ll be using new technology as much as tarmac to get York’s roads fit for the entire 21st century.”

A spokesman said the council had already won £2.85 million of government funding to use technology to transform the way road networks were managed.

As reported previously, the Smarter Transport Evolution Programme will see traffic lights and other street furniture ‘talking’ to vehicles.

This will allow real-time responses to traffic flows and ready the city for the new generation of connected and automated vehicles.