RE: Road conditions improve: official
Thursday 20th April 2006
They're getting better, we're toldOur roads are getting better, according to the latest set of Government stats.
Road conditions improve: official
DfT stats show fewer road defects
They're getting better, we're told
The National Road Maintenance Condition Survey for 2005, released yesterday by the Department for Transport, shows a decrease in the defects index from 112.5 in 2000 to 93.5 in 2005, following the trend over the last six years. The index was set at 100 in 1977, and the figures are given a 90 per cent confidence limit.
Within that overall figure, the pattern varies across different types of roads. Main roads in built-up areas showed the greatest improvement while rural roads -- the biggest category -- improved the least. The pattern of road defect is clearly delineated between rural and urban roads too, with 'whole carriageway major deterioration' the biggest category of defect for urban roads, while 'edge deterioration' and 'wheel track rutting' share the honours out in the country.
The survey also shows the amount of money spent on road maintenance, and the two graphs – money spent versus road defects -- are mirror images of each other. The more that's spent, the better the roads become. Obvious maybe, but it's useful to have it confirmed.
You want to know more about the roads? Check out the report: link below.
Discussion
Ah, but when they smooth over a few small potholes at the edge of the road by building a row of 7" high speed bumps, is that counted as removing a defect, or adding one?
Personally, I'm not really seeing it. A couple of small lumps round my way have been smoothed out, and they commendably resurfaced a blackspot with a suitably grippy surface, but most of the roads are as scarred and lumpy as they ever were. The problem is, the council keep resurfacing roads which are already good, without paying any attention to the real boneshakers.
Personally, I'm not really seeing it. A couple of small lumps round my way have been smoothed out, and they commendably resurfaced a blackspot with a suitably grippy surface, but most of the roads are as scarred and lumpy as they ever were. The problem is, the council keep resurfacing roads which are already good, without paying any attention to the real boneshakers.
Well, don't rest on your laurels yet, Big Brother. Lord knows you still a lot more work to do...
[rant]
And what about a more joined-up road works program? A few weeks ago they finished resurfacing a patch of road near my place (and beautifully, too). A few days after that, a crew came and tore up big squares of it to work on a water main. When they resurfaced it again, they did a horrible job - a few HGVs later and the patchwork has been squished in the middle and pushed up into big lumps at the sides. Can't avoid running over it either. It makes a speed hump feel like an expansion rut!
[/rant]
[rant]
And what about a more joined-up road works program? A few weeks ago they finished resurfacing a patch of road near my place (and beautifully, too). A few days after that, a crew came and tore up big squares of it to work on a water main. When they resurfaced it again, they did a horrible job - a few HGVs later and the patchwork has been squished in the middle and pushed up into big lumps at the sides. Can't avoid running over it either. It makes a speed hump feel like an expansion rut!
[/rant]
What a load of crap, around Kingston you can see they've run out of ideas to spend the budget. Last week they literally graffiti’d the whole of Villiers road with pretend speed bumps (point being?) they’re painted on? About a million new signs for 20MPH and this also go’s for huge painted 20MPH signs on the floor, everywhere!
A few years back it was laying lots of speed bumps on bad broken roads, now its erect signs with 20MPH so high you cannot see them. I could’ve got the local chav gang to do a better job. It really does make the road unsightly, also distracting the average driver away from actually driving!
A few years back it was laying lots of speed bumps on bad broken roads, now its erect signs with 20MPH so high you cannot see them. I could’ve got the local chav gang to do a better job. It really does make the road unsightly, also distracting the average driver away from actually driving!
dean_ratpac said:
What a load of crap, around Kingston you can see they've run out of ideas to spend the budget. Last week they literally graffiti’d the whole of Villiers road with pretend speed bumps (point being?) they’re painted on? About a million new signs for 20MPH and this also go’s for huge painted 20MPH signs on the floor, everywhere!
A few years back it was laying lots of speed bumps on bad broken roads, now its erect signs with 20MPH so high you cannot see them. I could’ve got the local chav gang to do a better job. It really does make the road unsightly, also distracting the average driver away from actually driving!
Quite agree!
I work in a major oil refinery - - supplying 20% of UK fuels and access to it is laughable - - single carriageway road whose surfsce has not been touched for >7yrs.
If ever there was a case for drug and alcohol for cause testing it would be these edjits in government offices compiling figures that anyone with a brain cell can work out for themselves....phew <rant over> Nick
What utter garbage, they may have fixed some but not here in southampton, the roads are getting worse and in fact the people doing the resurfacing are doing a cheap shoddy job, as we had part of the A33 re-done a few years ago and it is already falling apart, sinking etc.
Why cant they build roads like they used too? They stayed flat (until a gas, water, or electric company came along and dug it up) However they never used to sink or fall apart because they built them properly.
Same old RIP OFF BRITAIN thanks those T
s called the NEW Labour Government.
Why cant they build roads like they used too? They stayed flat (until a gas, water, or electric company came along and dug it up) However they never used to sink or fall apart because they built them properly.
Same old RIP OFF BRITAIN thanks those T
s called the NEW Labour Government. 
Better my arse. I have got so pissed off with the main road outside my house after getting in early last night I went out with the camera. Below is an idea of how Medway council maintain their roads. They do know but felt a new sign board was a better idea. There is also a dual carriage way not too far with a similar surface!!!!!
more here
www.corvetteclips.co.uk/roads.html
More and more tax for less and less new labour, same old joke.
>> Edited by Gixer on Thursday 20th April 18:42
Gixer said:
Better my arse. I have got so pissed off with the main road outside my house after getting in early last night I went out with the camera. Below is an idea of how Medway council maintain their roads. They do know but felt a new sign board was a better idea. There is also a dual carriage way not too far with a similar surface!!!!!
>> Edited by Gixer on Thursday 20th April 18:42
Hey those roads look not too bad to me! You should come try Guildford - a supposedly posh town in Surrey! Easily the worst town roads I found recently.
Do local councils pay for the local road upkeep? I suspect ours are so bad because they want to boast they put up council tax so little. I'd happily pay more for them to fix the roads - I pay extra with bad roads in having to get both cars suspension and alignment checked more often and in higher fuel bills due to the massive inefficiencies poor raods cause. In fact, I LOVE SPEED BUMPS coz round here they are the smoothest bits of road avaliable!
eein said:
Do local councils pay for the local road upkeep? I suspect ours are so bad because they want to boast they put up council tax so little. I'd happily pay more for them to fix the roads
No, that wont work the council here has put its rates up every year since Labours been in and we get less and less (this year they were capped I believe)
I can see I shall have to get some pix of my local (comedy) roads posted here...
I particularly like the way they paint around the holes and faults, and leave it so long the next thing you know is...someone repainting around the holes....
And when they do get round to it, it's just a case of some guys with a shovel playing pat-a-cake with some tarmac before fecking off and leaving it to us mugs to compress it.
Unfortunately not only is this a pointless waste of yet more money, but actually worsens the problem as all the additional loose crap adds wear and tear to accelerate the erosion process.
I went to a local town council meeting a few weeks ago as I knew roads were going to on the agenda. However I walked out in digust after learning that policy was to only repair faults deemed to be dangerous. Furthermore the local council folk claimed they had issues getting a response from county authorities...I mean, what IS the point of playing ball ...?
I seriously wonder how long it will be before there is a mass organised revolt to protest against this sham of a service that many have to endure as it is clear we are not getting what we pay for from whatever sources road maintenance is allegedly funded from...all of which comes from your, and my pocket - yeah right....
(note to self - get in the business of selling road marking paint to council...)
rant over
Dave :-)
I particularly like the way they paint around the holes and faults, and leave it so long the next thing you know is...someone repainting around the holes....
And when they do get round to it, it's just a case of some guys with a shovel playing pat-a-cake with some tarmac before fecking off and leaving it to us mugs to compress it.
Unfortunately not only is this a pointless waste of yet more money, but actually worsens the problem as all the additional loose crap adds wear and tear to accelerate the erosion process.
I went to a local town council meeting a few weeks ago as I knew roads were going to on the agenda. However I walked out in digust after learning that policy was to only repair faults deemed to be dangerous. Furthermore the local council folk claimed they had issues getting a response from county authorities...I mean, what IS the point of playing ball ...?
I seriously wonder how long it will be before there is a mass organised revolt to protest against this sham of a service that many have to endure as it is clear we are not getting what we pay for from whatever sources road maintenance is allegedly funded from...all of which comes from your, and my pocket - yeah right....
(note to self - get in the business of selling road marking paint to council...)
rant over
Dave :-)
sa_20v said:
My arse!
Totally, more inaccurate government statistics. Round my way the roads are so bad its a challenge to control the car under braking - totally unsafe, yet i suppose if someone crashes and dies at least they can erect a flipping speed scamera!
No, what they should do is paint a series of thick yellow slippy undulating stripes on the braking zone, that'll improve matters no end!
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