It's no longer a surprise to drive around CDMX and come across those potholes that leave your car a mess. What did surprise me was learning how much money the government has spent on compensation. Turns out, in just over five years, they paid more than 33 million pesos to nearly 3,700 drivers for damages caused by potholes in the roads. Basically, flat tires, bent rims, damaged suspension... the usual.

The interesting part is that there are two ways to file a complaint. One is going to the Civic Court with an expert report and going through the formal process, which most drivers with out-of-state plates used. The other is the Bache10 program, where you call 072 or Locatel and eventually receive a check. 2023 was the most expensive year: 8 million pesos in compensation for 688 affected vehicles. This year is calmer, but that's because we're only halfway through.

If we talk about where the most potholes are in CDMX, Gustavo A. Madero leads the complaints with over 351,000 pesos in payments. Álvaro Obregón and Cuauhtémoc are also on the list. The strange part is that the government allocated nearly 60 million pesos more to fix damages caused by fallen trees and floods. In the end, the bill to keep the city running is much higher than you might think.