Across Scotland the average spend per kilometre in 2018-19 was £9417, but Dumfries and Galloway spent less than half of that at £4034 per km.
According to The Local Government Benchmarking Framework, road spending locally also dropped from the previous year when it was £4764.
Meanwhile, the bill in the neighbouring Scottish Borders was £4609, while the highest spenders were Inverclyde on £25,188; and Renfrewshire with £19,717. As for other rural authorities, Moray invested £5984 for each km, it was £7764 in Argyll and Bute, and £6560 in Highland.
The data also shows that 34 per cent of Dumfries and Galloway’s A class roads are in need of repair; 36 per cent of B class; 47 per cent of C class roads; and 57 per cent of unclassified routes.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson has reacted angrily to the figures and has called on the Labour/SNP Administration at Dumfries and Galloway Council to make investment in roads one of their top priorities when setting their budget this week. He said: “The state of the roads across Dumfries and Galloway is a huge source of anger for local residents and motorists and now it is laid bare as to how the Labour/SNP run council have been failing to invest in them. The fact that they are spending the lowest amount on roads across Scotland is astonishing. “Given the number of complaints about pothole ridden roads I hear from constituents, almost on a daily basis, it is nothing more than shocking!”
He added: “The funding has fallen by almost a fifth in just five years so it is no wonder the roads in the region are in the state they are in. “I fully accept that budgets for local authorities are tough, due to the cuts imposed year after year from an SNP Government, but roads should be at the heart of any budget investment. That is what local people want to see.”
