[Crusader]

Hi all,

There's a new petition - officially endorsed by the RAC - on the 10 Downing Street website.

It demands that this Government starts to invest properly in Britain's road network...and develop a coherent policy with councils and utility companies to stop pointless congestion, roadworks and delays.

This is long overdue and will help all long-suffering drivers - so please support it.

You can sign up here:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/BritainMoving/

[Snowball]

In our area, the local council have recently replaced traffic lights at two road junctions. The existing lights were not very old. It was claimed that the reasons were for improvements in road safety, but the layouts are virtually unchanged; although the road furniture is at present new and shiny.

A few weeks ago, we received the usual council mailshot in the post, saying how well the budget had been managed for the coming year. I emailed a reply to say it could be even better if this kind of unnecessary waste was avoided. Strangely, I didn't get a reply!

[Rolebama]

Snowball, as I posted in another thread, our local council are changing all the traffic lights for the kind which turn to red if you approach them at or above the speed limit, as an aid to 'traffic calming'. This system only works 'after hours' when the lights are normally operated by sensors. Apparently it is not practical to adapt the old kind for this kind of sensor. I wonder if they would have to be changed again when the 'slow drivers get green lights' system is introduced.

[98selitb]

I have been using the A55 regularly for the last 3 years. The other day, I had cause to travel almost the whole length of it from Anglesey to Chester. I noticed that it was the first time I had ever driven along it where there had been no roadworks whatsoever. When I made the reverse journey 2 days later, they were back again:rolleyes:

[ficklejade]

OK, can understand that, when emergencies occur, they have to be dealt with promptly. But for scheduled works, why isn't there a requirement for locals to be told?

Just a couple of local examples:

1. Re-surfacing stretches on the main road between the main ferry terminal and main village on the island. Over one hour's delay throughout the work - loads of folks missed ferries (and lost money for not cancelling as well as not being able to go about their business, or ruining holiday plans). Not advertised by the Council, yet they have to plan to bring the big machines over on the boat!!
2. Scheduled replacement of water main that crosses the only road into our part of town (where the Surgery is!!) - no-one told - again missed ferries etc. Thank the Lord we did not have an emergency as it took them 10 minutes to pull heavy metal plates over the waist deep trench!

[wagolynn]

Originally Posted by ficklejade

OK, can understand that, when emergencies occur, they have to be dealt with promptly. But for scheduled works, why isn't there a requirement for locals to be told?

Hey! You and any other non-political people only count when they want your vote, unless of course family is involved. It isn’t that they actively arrange things the worst possible way; they just cannot be bothered to think things through.:rolleyes:

[ficklejade]

Originally Posted by wagolynn

Hey! You and any other non-political people only count when they want your vote, unless of course family is involved. It isn’t that they actively arrange things the worst possible way; they just cannot be bothered to think things through.:rolleyes:

LOL!:D

Whilst we're not (quite) heading for UDI, we forced the Council to back down (for the fourth year) on a stealth tax; have stirred the proverbial rather a lot so not just Council, Holyrood but even Westminster is getting nervous (EU involved too, through Human Rights Act).

It's not just roadworks, but the lack of the them as well as lack of cohesion in approach to the work and lack of information. My lost ferry booking cost me £70 - plus another £70 to re-book a crossing - my net pension is just over £150 a week! That's rather painful when you can't get compensation!

No politician of any party or gov't is going to get much quarter or votes here!:mad:

[wagolynn]

Originally Posted by ficklejade

It's not just roadworks, but the lack of the them as well as lack of cohesion in approach to the work and lack of information. My lost ferry booking cost me £70 - plus another £70 to re-book a crossing - my net pension is just over £150 a week! That's rather painful when you can't get compensation!

Do you have access to citizen’s advice in your area? It would be good fun to get legal advice on suing the council/contractor for compensation. Only problem would be if it was the council who turned out to be liable you the tax payer would end up paying.:o

Do the local authority have a web page? If so get all the people affected to E-mail them to complain. If you have local elections due, watch’em sit up and take notice. When incompetence reaches a certain level they (the incompitent) are unable to comprehend just how incompetent they are.:)

[98selitb]

Well I have to give credit to my local council on this one. There have been a few major roadworks in the last few years to the one main road which, in my area, causes a 75-mile detour if it is closed (well there are plenty of country lane that cars can use as a short-cut (if they know of them!) but for large vehicles they have to take the full detour).

But the council have acted sensibly: (1) they have set it upon themselves to always give a minimum of 4 weeks' notice using big yellow signs advising motorists of the delays; and (2) the roadworks have all taken place at night, between 10pm and 5am, so as to cause minimum inconvenience to the majority of people.

In a world of negativity surrounding councils and governments (the negativitiy is often warranted), I am happy to be able to name one factor where my local politicians have certainly succeeded and deserve credit.

[Rolebama]

There has been a lane closure on A404 Rickmansworth Road along the front of Mount Vernon Hospital, for three weeks now. Traffic being controlled by contractors traffic lights. So far they have achieved a staggering half a mile!!!