Devon County Council is looking to take on a team of unpaid volunteers who will patch up potholes on the county's roads.
The authority already has snow wardens and flood wardens who are available to help in incidents of severe weather. It has also raised the possibility of asking members of the community to start gritting roads when temperatures start to plummet.
But now it appears it is investigating whether volunteers could carry out repairs to the road network when potholes appear.
Cllr Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet member for highway management, said the volunteers would be covered by the council's insurance and costs of repairs would be covered.
He told the BBC: "They will be able to go out and fill a pothole and make it safe temporarily until we can come out and make a permanent repair."
But the move has been criticised by motoring watchdogs who say the authority is trying to do the job on the cheap.
