Damn potholes

[nanscombe]

I wouldn't be too worried about reporting it. Potholes can be dangerous.

My attention was drawn to this article the other day. The headline could have been better worded but it was the Daily Mail.

Colin Baker's relief after his daughter spins off the road and into a tree after she hit a pothole

Lally Baker, 22, was travelling home on a busy road in Buckinhamshire
She walked away from the crash with just a bruised nose
...
The daughter of former Doctor Who star Colin Baker had a lucky escape when her car span off the road and smashed into a tree after hitting a pothole.
Lally Baker, 22, said she 'thought she was going to die' when her car hit the tree on a busy road in Buckinghamshire on Wednesday night.
Miss Baker, whose father played the 6th incarnation of Doctor Who between 1984 and 1986, was travelling home along a 50mph stretch of the Amersham Road towards High Wycombe when the crash happened.

Although her blue Nissan Micra was a write off following the smash, Miss Baker was fortunate enough to walk away with just a bruised nose.

 

[themackay]

I am sure there are lots of accidents which are caused by potholes ,I drive daily along a busy road with a row of potholes on a bad corner where you have no option but to go through them if there is oncoming traffic or stop if you can.The councils answer put some traffic cones at the potholes which they have now removed potholes not repaired after a couplle of months we certainly don't get value for money for all the tax we pay.
Alan

 

[Lons]

we certainly don't get value for money for all the tax we pay. Alan

That's the real problem Alan and why people get so disgruntled.

As a taxpayer, I'm perfectly happy to bear my share of the burden for police, NHS, refuse collection and everything else though I cringe at the amount spent on the "professional" no hopers who have no intention of ever working and whos offspring probably will grow up in the same vein. I have no problem with those wanting to help themselves and trying to do so, they need assistance.

I'm well aware that I don't get value for money for my £2500 pa council tax but I chose to live in a rural area with few services so accept that....however, I run 3 vehicles and the additional amount of tax collected from them is definately not spent on the roads which leaves a sour taste.

Added to that, it's hard to overlook the fact that my local authority was one of the biggest losers when they, against specific advice, invested in Icelandic banks and threw away many millions of our money, much of which will never be recovered. Not a single officer to my knowledge was disciplined over that event which they quietly shoved under the rug. The lost interest alone would be very useful in our comunity. It would certainly fill a lot of potholes.

Off track a bit so my appologies (having a tough day today)!

Bob

 

[Dibs-h]

My wife hit a pothole at around 60mph a few days ago and it's distorted an alloy and bulged the sidewall of her runflat tyre. I can't find anyone who says they can repair the alloy and the tyre is kaput so it's £450 replacement cost.

Bob

Bob

Have a look at - http://www.panda-engineering.co.uk/allo ... pairs.html - I've used their machining services in the past & they are spot on. Not used them for alloys - but they aren't a mickey mouse outfit, so wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't right.

Worth giving them a ring & see how you get on. IIRC - the chap there is called Steve.

HIH

Dibs

 

[JakeS]

Not a single officer to my knowledge was disciplined over that event which they quietly shoved under the rug. The lost interest alone would be very useful in our comunity. It would certainly fill a lot of potholes.

I've heard the argument before that if you started penalising public officers for wasting thousands or millions of taxpayers' money then nobody would want to be a public officer.

Which to me just makes me want to ask why they want to be a public officer now"? Specifically to embezz- uh, waste thousands or millions of taxpayers' money?

 

[riclepp]

Talk about roads and potholes, if I remember rightly in an official government article I read a few years ago, they estimated that if you get your road resurfaced today and it is done properly, it would then be another 75 years before they would be able to do it again due to the amount of roads now in the UK. As with most potholes they just cuck some tarmacadam in , flatten it, bitcmen around the edges and hope for the best. As we all know they do this in wet weather mainly and wonder why it lifts!!!! Ah well more tax payers money to waste and burn, after all that what we are here for.

 

[andersonec]

There is a fairly cheap 'Temporary' tarmac which can be used to fill these holes, it is put in cold and then rollered, it stays quite soft (for easy removal when the permanent job is done) but is sufficient to keep the road surface flat and safe for a considerable length of time, BT, Electric and Water also use it, it can also be installed in wet weather, we used to use it whenever a road crossing was done and it was put in by the construction gang and removed when the tarmac gangs came (usually next day) to do the permanent reinstatement.
In my opinion it would save the councils a fortune if they had one little van roaming and filling these holes with temporary tarmac to keep the roads safe, it would also improve their image and show that they do actually care and are capable of some sort of action.

Lons, I consider your wife a lucky girl, had she swerved out to miss the hole and a quick biker had come over the hill it could have been a different outcome, It is now blatantly obvious why the hole as patched so quickly, it's called "Shutting the door after the horse has bolted"
All Councils have a man who tours the areas and logs and marks these faults for repair, some of them are not that efficient if you get my drift, pursue your claim and if need be request/demand their highways inspector accompany you to the scene.

Andy

 

[Lons]

Which to me just makes me want to ask why they want to be a public officer now"? Specifically to embezz- uh, waste thousands or millions of taxpayers' money?

Half decent salary and very good pension!
I doubt if many misuse public funds deliberately but they don't seem to be accountable for the numerous errors. In the private sector, they would be quickly on the disciplinary path and possible P45.

Dibs.

Many thanks for the link. I'll contact them as soon as I get a chance.

Andy.

I also think my wife was very lucky and got really annoyed when I saw the hole and the previous patch as I think it wasn't originally repaired properly. The road regularly is subject to accidents, some quite serious and it is a favourite route for bikers looking for thrills as it leads to wining roads with loads of corners. As locals we are careful but experienced as my wife is, had she seen the hole, I have no doubt she would have swerved. I dread to think!

I've had a reply from the council acknowledging my letter and it states

Highways Division could take up to 90 days from the date of acknowledgement of your letter to investigate the claim.

and

During this investigation a decision will be made according to the law as to whether or not the Council have been negligent.

So, I'll prepare to do battle in 3 months time :roll: I've already requested information under the freedom of info act.

Bob

 

[nanscombe]

Which to me just makes me want to ask why they want to be a public officer now"? Specifically to embezz- uh, waste thousands or millions of taxpayers' money?

Half decent salary and very good pension!
I doubt if many misuse public funds deliberately but they don't seem to be accountable for the numerous errors. In the private sector, they would be quickly on the disciplinary path and possible P45.

A few negatives, mainly generalisations, to redress the balance:
The Government giving you a pay cut, in all but name, by freezing pay.
Increasing pension contributions.
Threat of redundancy.
The threat of outsourcing.
Working extra, unpaid, hours to keep up with the workload caused by people that have left and not been replaced.
People griping about the public service for substandard, over-priced work carried out by private sub contractors.
Complaints about the size of the public service.
...

:wink:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, I feel really sorry for them.

 

[Lons]

A few negatives, mainly generalisations, to redress the balance:
The Government giving you a pay cut, in all but name, by freezing pay.
Increasing pension contributions.
Threat of redundancy.
The threat of outsourcing.
Working extra, unpaid, hours to keep up with the workload caused by people that have left and not been replaced.
People griping about the public service for substandard, over-priced work carried out by private sub contractors.
Complaints about the size of the public service.
..._________________Nigel

Not all roses Nigel but very little in there that's worse than the private sector and much that's better.
I don't have family who work for the local authorities, (do have a couple of friends) but have a number in the NHS most of whom could earn more doing an office job with the local authority. Jobs for which they would not need the degree qualifications they have or the life and death responsibilities they currently shoulder. And that doesn't include compulsory registration fees, expensive staff parking and not least, horrible unsociable hours.

My son had a good job with British Gas (Centra) and thought it was solid but just before Christmas, his job along with many others were dumped at very short notice and the minimal payment. Luckily he secured a better job with another company immediately but most don't.


Bob

 

[JakeS]

Half decent salary and very good pension!
I doubt if many misuse public funds deliberately but they don't seem to be accountable for the numerous errors. In the private sector, they would be quickly on the disciplinary path and possible P45.

Oh, I doubt very much that more than a tiny minority deliberately or even consciously misuse public funds. But if the threat of prosecution for doing so were really all it would take to put everyone off working for the public, the implication would be that most people expected to be in that position at some point!

(I suspect it probably says more about the people giving that as a reason not to prosecute public officers than anyone else. I'm reminded somewhat of Berlusconi's "you can't prosecute me for anything because it would distract me from my duties as prime minister"...)

 

[nanscombe]

... Not all roses Nigel but very little in there that's worse than the private sector and much that's better.

I have no experience of the private sector, so I couldn't say either way. It was purely a list to counter-balance the good pay and pension.

Anyway, it was more for the benefit of those who think it's a bed of roses with a gold plated pension at the end of it. :wink:

 

[Lons]

... Not all roses Nigel but very little in there that's worse than the private sector and much that's better.

I have no experience of the private sector, so I couldn't say either way. It was purely a list to counter-balance the good pay and pension.

Anyway, it was more for the benefit of those who think it's a bed of roses with a gold plated pension at the end of it. :wink:

Hi

I wasn't having a go.
I don't think any industry whether private or public is a bed of roses these days though as far as pensions are concerned, those in the public sector have very definately fared better than private. No matter how much they complain, that includes teachers, NHS, police and fire services etc.

I think in the current climate, everybody is suffering and those of us who thought we were prudently saving for retirement have seen our savings and investments worth less every week that goes by with returns less than the rate of inflation.

cheers

Bob

 

[Lons]

I've resurected this post because when Northumberland CC acknowledged my claim they made two statements, " strive to process claims as quickly as possible" and " could take up to 90 days to investigate". I registered my opinion that 90 days is excessive however........ here we are 100 days later and not a peep from the bu**ers!

i don't know whether its deliberate or just plain incompetence ( I suspect the latter) but it's really starting to p*ss me off so a nice polite reminder email just sent to them with a copy to my local councilor who claims the state of our roads is his pet crusade.

Watch this space!

Bob

 

[RogerS]

I've resurected this post because when Northumberland CC acknowledged my claim they made two statements, " strive to process claims as quickly as possible" and " could take up to 90 days to investigate". I registered my opinion that 90 days is excessive however........ here we are 100 days later and not a peep from the bu**ers!

i don't know whether its deliberate or just plain incompetence ( I suspect the latter) but it's really starting to p*ss me off so a nice polite reminder email just sent to them with a copy to my local councilor who claims the state of our roads is his pet crusade.

Watch this space!

Bob

Standard practice. Wait 90 days to reply with either 'we need more information' or 'sod off'. YOu then respond which gives them another 90 days to respond. Wonder if this is claimable in the Small Claims Court?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

#-o I see in this week's news that the NHS have dumped £74million's worth of Tamiflu because it had been stored incorrectly. No wonder there's no money for anything, with waste like that. That would have fixed a few potholes.

 

[Lons]

Roger.
My county councillor is on the ball though!
He sent me an email at 8.30 this morning to say he had just phoned the department and insisted on a response today / tomorrow latest. I'm expecting a rejection but it's become a matter of principle now so I'm digging my heels in.

What really gets me is that I pay £240 a month council tax and wonder what they'd do if I said I'm not going to pay it for 90 days while I have a think about whether I'm liable to pay. I bet there would be a summons plus costs issued very quickly.


Phil

That waste if it's true is horrendous and people should lose their jobs over that. If that happened even on a small scale in the private sector, the company would go bust.

Bob

 

[tsb]

There's an item about potholes and damage to cars on Watchdog tonight

 

[Lons]

There's an item about potholes and damage to cars on Watchdog tonight

Thanks, I've recorded it.

Update is that following my email and intervention by my councillor, she says she posted a responce to me on 13th May (EXACTLY 90 days from acknowledgement!) I don't believe her but have now got a copy of their rejection as expected so am now sorting out a response as I'm going to push it as far as I can without getting into heavy costs.

Bob