Making bad roads worse
Discussion
No one here needs reminding of the disgraceful state of Britain's roads. Their state is especially inexcusable considering that Britain both has a very high per capita GDP and has a high level of government spending in relation to its high GDP.
To the extent that this disgraceful state is caused by authorities' spending all their money on other things, or the particularly contemptible authorities that seem to believe that bad roads can be "an effective speed control measure", the phenomenon can be understood, although not defended.
The part that is beyond my comprehension, however, is why authorities allow private, for-profit contractors to run amok and abuse the roads that belong to the public.
The idea that more than a hundred contractors have the right to tear up the roads whenever they like, and are not required to coordinate their personal roadworks with those of any other contractor, is bizarre. (I believe that London's Oxford Street, which is perhaps two miles long and is one of the most densely-trafficked streets in Europe, was dug up more than one hundred and fifty separate times in a single recent year.)
The killer is when contractors rip up the roads and inconvenience thousands of MOPs, and even then are allowed to fail to restore them to the condition which they were in before they damaged them.
All over the place we see hideously scarred roads with subsiding, irregular trenches that can go on for a mile or more. Manhole covers are installed at the wrong height or not filled in properly. Whoever fits storm grates will often set them with an orientation parallel to the street, creating an extreme and totally unnecessary danger to cyclists.
Can anyone explain this seemingly wanton incompetence and irresponsibility? How can the authorities even think about tolerating this?
To the extent that this disgraceful state is caused by authorities' spending all their money on other things, or the particularly contemptible authorities that seem to believe that bad roads can be "an effective speed control measure", the phenomenon can be understood, although not defended.
The part that is beyond my comprehension, however, is why authorities allow private, for-profit contractors to run amok and abuse the roads that belong to the public.
The idea that more than a hundred contractors have the right to tear up the roads whenever they like, and are not required to coordinate their personal roadworks with those of any other contractor, is bizarre. (I believe that London's Oxford Street, which is perhaps two miles long and is one of the most densely-trafficked streets in Europe, was dug up more than one hundred and fifty separate times in a single recent year.)
The killer is when contractors rip up the roads and inconvenience thousands of MOPs, and even then are allowed to fail to restore them to the condition which they were in before they damaged them.
All over the place we see hideously scarred roads with subsiding, irregular trenches that can go on for a mile or more. Manhole covers are installed at the wrong height or not filled in properly. Whoever fits storm grates will often set them with an orientation parallel to the street, creating an extreme and totally unnecessary danger to cyclists.
Can anyone explain this seemingly wanton incompetence and irresponsibility? How can the authorities even think about tolerating this?
Your spreading doom and gloom F - naughty boy.
You should appreciate in our controlled society all is catered for.
Have a gander through this:
http://tinyurl.com/3xhd3m
dvd
You should appreciate in our controlled society all is catered for.
Have a gander through this:
http://tinyurl.com/3xhd3m
dvd
Dwight VanDriver said:
Your spreading doom and gloom F - naughty boy.
Also known as the grim reality.Dwight VanDriver said:
You should appreciate in our controlled society all is catered for.
At least it is for the controllers.Dwight VanDriver said:
A spot of light reading for the holidays...
Cheers.
Dwight VanDriver said:
Your spreading doom and gloom F - naughty boy.
You should appreciate in our controlled society all is catered for.
Have a gander through this:
http://tinyurl.com/3xhd3m
dvd
There is also the Traffic Management Act http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tma2004/ which takes things a step further. The utilities are spending millions having to comply with this act.You should appreciate in our controlled society all is catered for.
Have a gander through this:
http://tinyurl.com/3xhd3m
dvd
Which is were the rub is. Privatisation has created significant customer benifits in terms of service and cost of services. There are limations on exactly how many utilities can get into a hole at the same time, and any increase cost in providing service will ultimately be passed on to consumers.
Bottom line is, infrastructure needs updating / replacing / repairing if you want the benefits it brings. You can take the pain in delays on the road or take it in pounds notes from your wallet.
bluepolarbear said:
Bottom line is, infrastructure needs updating / replacing / repairing if you want the benefits it brings. You can take the pain in delays on the road or take it in pounds notes from your wallet.
I'm not sure that those are the only possibilities.A few months ago there was a show on terrestrial tv about roadworks.
The investigators followed a team of Devon (IIRC) roadworkers from the start of their "work day" to the end.
That is, they followed this collection of cheats and frauds as they drove their company vehicle from the terminal, drove to a news agents', drove to a betting shop, drove to a food market, had a coffee break, had a fag break, etc, etc.
The investigators concluded that these proud gentlemen had, over the course of the entire day, put in 57 minutes of actual work on the roads.
So maybe there's a bit of slack in the system.
flemke said:
A few months ago there was a show on terrestrial tv about roadworks.
The investigators followed a team of Devon (IIRC) roadworkers from the start of their "work day" to the end.
That is, they followed this collection of cheats and frauds as they drove their company vehicle from the terminal, drove to a news agents', drove to a betting shop, drove to a food market, had a coffee break, had a fag break, etc, etc.
The investigators concluded that these proud gentlemen had, over the course of the entire day, put in 57 minutes of actual work on the roads.
So maybe there's a bit of slack in the system.
Tell me about it! The investigators followed a team of Devon (IIRC) roadworkers from the start of their "work day" to the end.
That is, they followed this collection of cheats and frauds as they drove their company vehicle from the terminal, drove to a news agents', drove to a betting shop, drove to a food market, had a coffee break, had a fag break, etc, etc.
The investigators concluded that these proud gentlemen had, over the course of the entire day, put in 57 minutes of actual work on the roads.
So maybe there's a bit of slack in the system.
About two months ago, around 4-5 miles of the M48 was coned off to a single lane (normally two lanes + HS) for FOUR WEEKS. Temporary barriers were installed at worksites, a Portakabin office, Portaloo, flashing beacons on cones (the M48 is unlit).
The purpose of all this? To replace about 150 yards of double-height Armco.
The next four weeks were spent doing similar in the other direction.
Agreed flemke, really annoys me when roads are dug up, filled in and then a week or so later the patch sinks but the contractors have naffed off to the next job never to return.
It's like everthing though we pay for the repairs in the end whether it's through motoring taxes or gas bills.
It's like everthing though we pay for the repairs in the end whether it's through motoring taxes or gas bills.
handpaper said:
Tell me about it!
About two months ago, around 4-5 miles of the M48 was coned off to a single lane (normally two lanes + HS) for FOUR WEEKS. Temporary barriers were installed at worksites, a Portakabin office, Portaloo, flashing beacons on cones (the M48 is unlit).
The purpose of all this? To replace about 150 yards of double-height Armco.
The next four weeks were spent doing similar in the other direction.
That same length of Armco (but triple height) the boys at the Nordschleife would replace in a day.About two months ago, around 4-5 miles of the M48 was coned off to a single lane (normally two lanes + HS) for FOUR WEEKS. Temporary barriers were installed at worksites, a Portakabin office, Portaloo, flashing beacons on cones (the M48 is unlit).
The purpose of all this? To replace about 150 yards of double-height Armco.
The next four weeks were spent doing similar in the other direction.
bluepolarbear said:
Privatisation has created significant customer benifits in terms of service
Don't agree. Most organisations now employ (cheap) idiots for whom their first language is bollox and their second language English. Admittedly, they may have 4 'A's at A level, but now that only means that they can string half a sentence (rather than 2 words) together.A little provocative, but what the hell....
bluepolarbear said:
...and cost of services.
Perhaps. However, there are a shedload of organisations post privatisation that are, and have always been, making huge profits for little benefits to their customers (eg water companies, who have a licence to print money - OUR money).Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff