Fighting pothole season — through social media
Man hopes to get quicker fixes for potholes by posting them on Facebook
As pothole season descends upon Newfoundland and Labrador, one man from Stephenville has taken to Facebook in the hopes that he can help combat the problem that plagues the province's roads and highways each spring.
"We pay our taxes, we shouldn't have to have this kind of damage on the roads, and we shouldn't have to expect it whenever we go out," Ernest Snooks told the St. John's Morning Show.
To try and combat the road hazards, Snooks created the Newfoundland and Labrador Potholes page on Facebook, where he encourages people to swap stories and flag problem areas for others.
"I've heard one person say in the last month they've changed out two tires, which is absolutely ridiculous," said Snooks.
"Mostly what I'm hearing is that there are just too many potholes, and they're not being filled in when they should be. And they're just growing and growing and growing."
More maintenance needed
Snooks hopes the page catches the attention of municipal and provincial governments.
"I wanted to bring this to light, and see if maybe we can share some stories and get some more attention on it,
and really get the roads maintained as they should be," said Snooks.
"This is an indication of prosperity in a province, I think. You're only as good as your infrastructure."
Snooks hopes one day, he lives in a pothole-free province.
"So we avoid these kinds of accidents, we avoid this kind of vehicle damage. No one should have to go into the opposite lane of traffic to avoid a pothole," he said.
With files from Cecil Haire