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10th March 2021, 12:03 | #11 |
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It's not just potholes and general degeneration. It seems road humps can be laid with no survey of residents views or recognition of damage caused to even slow traffic, let alone the wriggling that goes on when a claim is made.
Local councils always have a percentage of interfering busybodies ready to flex their jaw muscles as an indication of their 'public spirited' public 'service'. Traffic calming can be done much more safely and at no net cost by operating systems used everywhere else, i.e. cameras. How many times do you see road humps with deep ruts caused by exhaust fittings? These are public roads, not school or residents' property.
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10th March 2021, 12:06 | #12 |
Posted a thing or two
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I think the local council "engineers" who "look after" the roads should ride a motorbike (or better still) cycle one using a road bike and skinny tyres. Then they will get a "feel" for how badly surfaced the roads are (even before the pot holes).
Saying that, my local outer London council has re-surfaced quite a few main roads. And to my shock the contractor has done a good job! Properly surfaced (no loose rubbish), taken care of drain covers, etc. alignment. I believe they dig up the existing surface and re-use it with fresh asphalt. Shame it only took them 10+ years in some cases. They are using up their budget before year end. To retain the same level next year is I think how the game goes ... I can actually cycle without being forced to take up so much lane, whereas before I had to be very aware of "cycle potholes" and badly surfaced areas and use the road for my safety. I'm actually running out of badly surfaced roads! The next council, Essex often use the age old "chuck some gravel over tarmac", which means the surface underneath is as f'ed up as ever and just covered over. Why bother? The surface is lethal for weeks as the loose gravel is a hazard when cornering. |
10th March 2021, 12:14 | #13 |
Posted a thing or two
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In 1954 to 1956 I was in Austria and Germany and used to boast to the the natives about the superiority of British roads particularly the minor roads, (not Mways), for cycling. In 1960? whatever Harold Wilson said and I quote "we will have a moratorium on road repairs" And every subsequent government has followed Harolds way. Chris S.
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10th March 2021, 13:13 | #14 |
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The bad roads in our country infuriates me.
We all claim 'they are particularly bad by me' which can only mean they really are that bad everywhere across the country. Here in Cardiff there's a nasty habit by the council of fixing potholes so poorly that they are disintegrating again within a matter of a week or two. I genuinely think my 4 month old daughter could fix a pothole better. I think there is a systemic problem whereby councils farm out the repairs to third parties who don't care about the quality of the work and just grab the cash and run, effectively. There's also nobody to hold them to account, as there rarely ever is where public money is concerned. Also agree with others here about traffic calming measures in particular speed bumps being a nightmare. The speed cushions are the worst as the inclination is to straddle them so you're not a nuisance on the road and they chew up the inside shoulder of your tyres and over time mess up your alignment. The main road near me has a school on it so a few years ago it went down to a 20 and down went the speed bumps. Yes, it is safer at 20 for children but it also massively increases pollution. I've driven quite a few different cars and none of them are happy in 3rd gear at 20mph so you have to drop down to 2nd - higher revs = more pollution. To top that off the school closed two years ago and is now nearly all demolished but of course, the 20mph limit and the speed bumps remain. |
10th March 2021, 13:39 | #15 |
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Reading some of the posts reminded me of this.
https://youtu.be/Zn9hZxTi8Qk Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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10th March 2021, 13:42 | #16 |
This is my second home
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If you consider a road by you is unfit for purpose by being in a bad condition, A+B designated, you can serve a ‘section 56 ‘ notice on the council to repair it.They receive grants to repair these roads and can not reallocate the money to anything else, so not using it is a ridiculous thing to do.
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10th March 2021, 13:59 | #17 |
Precise
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The contractors appear to be paid "per hole" so when it fails again, it's another job at the same rate!
In the old days, the edges of repairs were "sealed" by pouring tar/bitumen along the joint to keep the water out, this does not now seem to be part of the "specification". |
10th March 2021, 14:49 | #18 |
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Wigan Roads.
The roads around here are terrible and potholed with no sign of repairs anytime soon, it's got to the point where you can't drive anywhere in a straight line. I've long been Mr angry at the state of the roads and it's just getting worse everyday. I despair when I see utility companies digging up the roads as it's very likely going to be a shoddy repair job afterwards, I think there should be a national standard of road repairs that are backed by laws, I also think utility companies should not be allowed to finish on Fridays and come back on Mondays to carry on. I was once passing through a German town behind a truck with hot tarmac on it, the truck stopped and a few men got out and proceeded to start filling a pothole, it seemed that they drove around looking for potholes to fill without forms in triplicate being filled out. If UK councils had similar work teams, the problems wouldn't get as bad long term and costs would be saved, there's a machine that does the job but councils won't buy one or split a cost with another council. The first lockdown last year provided the chance for councils to do many road repairs but guess what?
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10th March 2021, 15:35 | #19 |
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Road faults have to be attended by someone with a tin of spray paint these days.
I recently discovered/detected a gas leak and the authorities dealt with it, but I saw the kerb stone was not replaced, but a right angled construction of tarmac was installed. There now exists some freshly sprayed paint around it. |
10th March 2021, 16:44 | #20 |
I really should get out more.......
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