Road maintenance workers are merely "papering over cracks" as Scotland faces a £1.8bn backlog on repairs to Scotland's roads.
So says Stewart Turner, chairman of roads maintenance body the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, who warned that the backlog is "huge" in every local authority area.
Mr Turner told Holyrood's Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee more needs to be done to tackle the risking volume of work that is required on local authority roads in Scotland.
The committee is taking evidence to inform a report on the Scottish Government's budget for the next financial year.
Last year it emerged that spending on Scotland's roads had been slashed by nearly £140m over the previous seven years, sparking fresh concerns about the state of the nation's pock-marked surfaces.
READ MORE: Scotland's roads cash slashed despite £1.2 billion backlog in repair work
Previous studies from 2016 show that Scottish motorists reported around 423 cavities per day – three times more than their counterparts in London.
In December it was claimed it could take two years to clear a road repairs backlog in Edinburgh alone.
Despite the amount of work needed on Scottish roads, members of the panel said ring-fencing funding to be used specifically on roads would not be the best way forward.
Responding to a question from Mike Rumbles MSP on the situation, Mr Turner said: "The current figure for the backlog on Scottish roads is £1.8 billion.
"I think what we need to recognise is that this is a large number, and funding has got less and less in the last five or six years.
"The techniques that we've used over the last five or six years make it easier for us to manage the roads network.
READ MORE: Thousands of Scots in legal limbo as roads unadopted
"We're really papering over cracks on our road network at the moment.
"Whatever the backlog is, it's huge in every single roads authority area.
"We're just trying to get to a place where we've got more money to spend on roads maintenance."
Steven Heddle, spokesman for the environment and economy at local government body Cosla, told the committee three things are needed for local authorities to address the backlog.
He said: "That would be increased funding - because undeniably local government funding has decreased.
"Greater flexibility in being able to allocate it, because the flexibility allows us to do the early intervention, to be innovative and to prioritise.
"And there's the multi-annual approach to things, which would allow us to plan for the future.
"What we're very guarded about is the idea of roads becoming another ring-fenced thing in the settlement, because this just transfers pressure on to the unprotected areas, of which roads is one."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Maintenance of the local road network is the responsibility of local authorities to allocate resources on the basis of local needs and priorities. We continue to ensure our partners in local government receive a fair funding settlement, despite further cuts to the Scottish budget from the UK Government.
"We are delivering a funding package of £11.2 billion for local authorities this year, which is a real-terms increase in both revenue (1.2%) and capital funding (21.5%) compared to the previous year.
"We fully recognise the importance of a safe and reliable road network, and the budget for maintenance for the roads we look after will increase by around £33 million to £467 million in the 2019-20 Budget.
"In times of financial constraint, we are making significant efforts to maximise every penny that is spent on maintenance - and our Road Asset Management Plan sets out how we prioritise maintenance and ensure cost-effective use of resources."
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