Wednesday 9 March 2011

WHY SHOULD WE PUT UP WITH POTHOLES?

The pothole in our road


I've been driving for nearly 40 years and in all that time I don't think I have ever seen the roads in such a bad condition.

Why should we drivers put up with it?  It's costing a fortune in springs, shock absorbing thingies, (I'm not too technical) and burst tyres.  I don't know about in your part of the world but up here in Scotland, it's a company called AMEY, who have the contract to repair the trunk roads.

It seems to me that they are plainly not keeping up to the job.  Now we know that there has been severe weather which knocks hell out of the road surface but most of that was in December.  We're now into March and the roads STILL haven't been repaired.  Amey must have some contract to repair them, if they are not in a fit state and if they don't have a contract that holds them to account, why not?  They should be taking on more workers, albeit on a temporary basis to get the job done.  They are to the best of my knowledge a PLC, the same as BP.  Now when the Gulf Oil Spill happened, BP didn't stand back and let it get worse.  They got on with it and repaired it.

Local Authorities in Scotland are liable for the non-trunk roads and they have been given huge amounts of money to effect repairs from the Scottish Government.  I have told my MSP, that as far as votes are concerned for the May election in Scotland, a good number of people would vote for the party that promises to repair our road network and if that means holding PLCs to account, then so be it, their shareholders just wouldn't be able to get a dividend this year.  All together now,  aaaaw!

18 comments:

Toni said...

DL, why not look into who are the shareholders of AMEY, match them up with councillers and see where the link is. I don't know the company but i suspect most of their shareholding is in nominee accounts, so avoiding public attention. The corruption at Westminster is just marginal compared to what is happening at a local level.

Anonymous said...

All the roads around Kilmarnock will be fine shortly as some pikey families have arrived behind Asda, next to the royal mail depot.

Budvar said...

I'm told that councils get funding for the upkeep of roads, but it's up to them as to whether they spend the money actually on roads or their own pet projects.

Which in my view is akin to giving a 7 yo £50 for a school blazer, but it's up to him if he chooses to spend the money on sweets or not.

Anonymous said...

Highland Coooncil roads crap.

Dont pay coooncil tax.
Dont fill in census form.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Antonio, I don't doubt it goes on particularly where supermarkets are concerned. I do know some local councillors on a political basis and to the best of my knowledge and estimation, they're not bent, but I suppose you never know.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Anonymous 1, What do you mean 'pikeys have arrived'? In Kilmarnock? The place has been crawling with them for years, FFS!

Dark Lochnagar said...

Budvers, I know where I stay they are spending all they get on the roads, but like everything, if the budget was trebled it still wouldn't be enough.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Anonymous 2 or maybe 1 again, I'm all for not filling in the census form or at least making an arse of it.

Billy Carlin said...

Toni/DL - It is not always the councillors, although we have got more than our share of crooks here in Renfrewshire, but officers/employees of the council that are at it as well.

Our streetlighting is an outside company and for years they seem to be replacing the same lamp posts while others in a worst state get ignored - seems to be a scam and I bet it goes on in your areas as well.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Billy, they have changed some but only real old ones for the better. I doubt though that any will be getting changed now. The waste in Local Government is truly shocking, in fact I'm going to blog about it soon.

Anonymous said...

Ur ye daft? It's no potholes - It's asteroid craters.

Were doomed I tell ye - were doomed.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Anonymous, when you hit one at speed you think you are.

banned said...

Amey (formerly Roadstone Corperation) came about as the kinda sort of privatisation of council Direct Labour Organisations, you will find that managers move between it and highways departments to avoid responsibility for their actions as their careers progress alongside their magnificent remunerations.

Car Tax (Road Fund License)was introduced by central government to (hint) fund the fucking roads, time it got on with it.

Anonymous said...

When have you hit an asteroid at speed?

Methinks you are fibbing.

Were doomed I tell ye - were doomed.

banned said...

* "Corporatiopn" Soz, was pished.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Banned, it's time at least some of the money that's collected from motorists in Road Fund licenses and fuel taxes was returned to them. Here's a novel approach, make cyclists pay Road Tax, say £20 per year, they're a fucking menace.

Dark Lochnagar said...

Anonymous, that time when I was abducted by aliens and I was made to shag all their females because their own civilisation is waning fast, because their virility is on the wane. Did I tell you they were gorgeous, virgins and gagging for it?

Dark Lochnagar said...

Billy, I think it's because, that's what most of think is repulsive. I only tick the ugly and wrinkled boxes, so I'm OK!