Roads killed

We are beginning to get rather pissed off in Thames Ditton on the potholes issue. It seems that the current contract for road maintenance contained no Service Level Agreement or provision for penalties for non-performance. But I suspect we cannot read this contract because of "commercial confidentiality". The councillor in charge is happy, however. (http://residents-association.com/news.php#SCC_potholes) There was also a "Have Your Say public question time event" last Thursday at Dorking Halls. This was chaired by the leader of Surrey County Council - who assured us that things were much better and that the roads maintenance contract would be put out to tender next year. Meeting report not yet up on SCC website. Lots of further comment - much of it from me - on http://residents-association.com/forum/index.php?topic=157.msg1295#msg1295 . I have also submitted a Freedom of Information request to get the compensation costs SCC (i.e. the council taxpayer) is having to pay. As a fellow Surrey sufferer, anything you can do to help attack this problem - without of course prejudicing your national role - would be most welcome.

Asked on 19 June 2010 by RT, Thames Ditton

Answered by Honest John

I photographed the potholes in the speed cushions on Thames Ditton High Street in February, reported them via www.fixmystreet.co.uk and tried to get the paper to run the pix. I reckon that pothole in that speed cushion is the perfect metaphor for the state of the country through misappropriation of taxpayers money into the wrong things: in this case festooning the roads with obstacles instead of fixing them. It is patently obvious that the shocks caused by vehicles passing over speed humps and cushions destabilises the sub-structure of the roads, causing far more damage than would otherwise have occurred. You can see the roads breaking up at the sites of many speed humps and cushions. If anyone owning property on Thames Ditton High Street notices any buildings damage due to the road shocks they can probably force the council to pay for their buildings to be underpinned and repaired. The threat to buildings may be the way to get these dangerous obstacles removed.

Tags: motorways speed humps driving potholes

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