Pot Hole Issue on Route

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chrisb1357

Über Member
Hi all,

On my 3 mile cycyle to work there is a massive pot whole which must be about 5" deep and a few feet across. Its like someone has just lifted a chunk of the road out and cars even have to move around it but the problem i have is i have to stop to get around it. Should i report it to local council

Chris
 

mcshroom

Bionic Subsonic
I would report it, as if it's causing vehicles to swerve then it is dangerous. Best way would be to use http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/
 

Norm

Guest
mcshroom said:
Not sure that is the best way, although it might be the most convenient. I went direct to my local council and the hole was filled the next day, although the trail of cars on the verge after the pothole I reported suggests that I wasn't the only one to have had issues with that one. :biggrin:
 
OP
OP
C

chrisb1357

Über Member
Do you think if i was to walk my cycyle route and look for any big pot holes causing a risk that i would be asking for to much

Chris
 

Norm

Guest
Yes. :bicycle: (well, you did ask. :biggrin: )

Just make a note of any larger ones, distance from nearest junction and that sort of thing, and call the relevant council. I spoke to a lovely young lady from South Bucks CC when I reported mine, she sounded so fantastically wonderful that I wanted to find more to report. :sun:
 

snorri

Legendary Member
If you choose to report the defects directly to the Council, rather than use Fillthathole, make sure you get a reference number or some other proof of reporting.:biggrin:
 

Norm

Guest
StuartG said:
I'm not sure that Capt Allen's family would agree that it's not an entirely lunatic idea. I think that it's completely insane.
 

Cool_Mint

New Member
Does anyone else notice how stories like this get obfuscated by all involved?

From the BBC News website:

A spokesman for the council said: "Firstly, we'd like to say we are sorry to hear about this tragic accident and our thoughts are with family and friends at this difficult time.

Translation: Oops, oh well we filled in the pothole eventually!


"The police are investigating the recent fatal road traffic collision"
Translation: they know what happened but they aren't telling.

"Any recommendations made by the coroner at a subsequent inquest concerning the highway will, of course, be given serious consideration by Wiltshire Council."

Serious consideration? Do you have to be God before they will actually act on your recommendation?

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time."
If not now, then when? 2110?

"A statement from 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers said: "The exact circumstances of the road traffic accident are not known and are subject to ongoing investigation."

Translation: We're never going to talk about the general circumstances either.


I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that in the UK somebody has to die first before a council will spend money on putting up a new sign or carrying out a repair.

There is a junction near where I live that has gotten three or four people killed in separate accidents but the council only put up a "slow down" sign after death number 3 and the approach from the side road onto the main road is still a 50mph limit - lethal in fog because it's a short stretch of road so by the time you have accelerated up to 50 you have already reached the junction.
 

Armegatron

Active Member
Norm said:
Yes. :thumbsup: (well, you did ask. :biggrin: )

Just make a note of any larger ones, distance from nearest junction and that sort of thing, and call the relevant council. I spoke to a lovely young lady from South Bucks CC when I reported mine, she sounded so fantastically wonderful that I wanted to find more to report. :wacko:
Sounds nice on the phone...Add 10 stone :wacko:
 

Amanda P

Legendary Member
Cool_Mint said:
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that in the UK somebody has to die first before a council will spend money on putting up a new sign or carrying out a repair.

I know it's not an exaggeration.

I work on a site built on a green field site ten years or so ago. The owners consulted the Highways Agency at the time about the junction onto a busy trunk road. HA re-jigged the junction slightly, but it's still a hideous junction to use. To date, no-one's been killed at it, but the next junctions either side of it have had several fatalities each.

Our Health and Safety officer has consulted HA many times about this junction. There is no budget allocated to improving the junction.

He has been told, off the record of course, that if there were to be a fatality at the junction, budget priorities might change.
 
There are so many potholes in Derby, I can't see how they could all be reported - or how they would ever fix them all if they were, short of resurfacing entire roads - and I doubt they'll have the money for that.

Result? I don't think the road surfaces in general are anytime soon going to be as good as they were a few years back.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I've had good success on the whole reporting pot holes to the Fill That Hole website, the advantage of it is that if another cyclist has an accident after I report it there then the evidence is available to say that the council knew about the hole and didn't fix it.

There seems to be lots of fixing going on around here but I don't understand the priority that they are doing them in ... so a quiet side road that had cracks but no pot holes was fixed whilst there are still some much larger pot holes on more major roads that aren't fixed.
 
summerdays said:
There seems to be lots of fixing going on around here but I don't understand the priority that they are doing them in ... so a quiet side road that had cracks but no pot holes was fixed whilst there are still some much larger pot holes on more major roads that aren't fixed.

+1. On this morning's commute, I cycled off a main road full of potholes onto a quiet side road where half a dozen newishly-filled potholes greeted my tyres. All I can think is that because the side road was more residential, they saw it as a priority.
 
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