German village sells its potholes in a bid to fix them

A GERMAN village wants to fix its potholes by selling them.

Extreme winter weather has resulted in a rash of potholes across Europe, and with a shortage of cash to fix them, the town came up with the unique idea of selling sponsorships, complete with a plaque, to every pothole they fix.

For about R500, the hamlet of Niederzimmern in the eastern German state of Thuringia will tar over a pothole and then attach the donor’s name to the newly fixed hole. “The point is to use a funny idea to find people who can then help us to get our streets back in order,” Niederzimmern Mayor Christoph Schmidt-Rose told German radio.

Those interested can also request an inscription for their pothole plaque. Schmidt-Rose said interest had already been encouraging as people like to “feel like they own a pothole”. — DDC