Something positive we can do to make cycling safer.

[All uphill]

A few days ago I reported five abandoned road signs to the company whose name was on one of them. Neighbours told me I was wasting my time.

I also reported four potholes to the council. In both cases I used the magic words "hazard" "safety" " risk of injury", I also gave the precise location.

Today the holes are filled and the signs have been removed. Signs I have yet to report were not collected, and holes I didn't report have not been filled.

Fancy trying it in your area?

 

[Binky]

There's long been a way to report potholes, here's the Gov link:

https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole

Whether they get acted upon will be down to local council and funds etc available I suspect.

 

[OldShep]

I constantly report abandoned road signs laid in the verge as It gets my goat that no one seems responsible to gather all that money up. Just laid there to rot and damage the mower in the summer when they’re grown in. I report them on the council site as 'fly tipping' 😭

 

[Drago]

I do this almost daily as part of being a nosey Victor Meldrew sort Parish councillor. I use FixMyStreet so theres a public record or what was reported and when, which removes the opportunity for sneaky weasling out of doing something.

The district Council are terrible for using budgets as an excuse, and where necessary I remind them of the pertinent legislation which makes nk mention of budgets being a defence of or legal excuse for inaction. After all, 'highways' are run by Kier and theres always money in the budget to pay share dividends.

 

[All uphill]

There's long been a way to report potholes, here's the Gov link:

https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole

Whether they get acted upon will be down to local council and funds etc available I suspect.

I worked in a Council years ago. It's very difficult for a council employee or councillor to ignore "risk of injury to children" for example.

 

[Drago]

I worked in a Council years ago. It's very difficult for a council employee or councillor to ignore "risk of injury to children" for example.

Although they regularly do here, citing lack of casualties as an excuse for inaction despite there being no such legislation that allows lack of casualties as being an excuse for neglecting their lawful duties. Even the councillor in charge of Highways admitting to me ina recent meeting he knew full well it was not in any way an excuse or justification, which begs the question why they trot that out so often then..?

 

[cyberknight]

The only way stuff gets done normally is if i reach out to my local mp, otherwise the safety issues i report are ignored even with the use of keywords like safety , danger to public etc without much joy .

 

[SteveH80]

I regularly use the councils online system to report dangerous potholes and other hazards. Once reported they are usually fixed within a few days as it's then a matter of record if someone else hits the hazard and makes a claim.
I appreciate council's have limited budgets and they don't have the resources to survey all the roads in their patch on a regular basis, especially the quiet backroads I like to cycle on.

 

[All uphill]

I regularly use the councils online system to report dangerous potholes and other hazards. Once reported they are usually fixed within a few days as it's then a matter of record if someone else hits the hazard and makes a claim.
I appreciate council's have limited budgets and they don't have the resources to survey all the roads in their patch on a regular basis, especially the quiet backroads I like to cycle on.

Yes, that's how I see it.

If I inform them then it's in their hands. If they do nothing I'll occupy a few minutes of my spare time, during the long evenings, escalating things.

 

[Sharky]

FixMyStreet

Just explored "fixmystreet" and was told that Kent County Council does not accept reports from third parties.

I could go direct to the KCC website and it displayed that potholes had already been reported on that stretch of road. So will keep an eye on it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Include a photo with something broken to chivvy them along

 

[annedonnelly]

I appreciate council's have limited budgets and they don't have the resources to survey all the roads in their patch on a regular basis, especially the quiet backroads I like to cycle on.

Exactly. They can't know about everything on their patch. And people whinging about stuff on social media might make them feel better but it'll never get fixed if no-one tells the council.

I recently reported a pile of tyres dumped. I didn't spot them on my first journey past but that was because the council gritter was parked next to them and blocked my view. I suspect that the gritter driver won't have reported them

 

[winjim]

It only seems a few years ago that Sheffield resurfaced its entire road network. TBF it was already cracking up while they were still doing it, but thinking back it must have been at least 15 years ago (remember the street trees controversy?) Anyway, the entire city has become a horrendous death trap once again. For all their Dutch roundabouts and alleged connected cycle paths they're failing at the basics, no preventative maintenance cycle it would seem.

Water leaks everywhere as well which isn't helping. My street had a burst main over the summer and while they fixed the leak they still haven't sorted the damage it caused to the road. The entire surface was lifting up so there's bound to be some voiding underneath, I'm just waiting for it to all fall through.

I have just bought a cheapo camera for the commuter, so I might stick that on so I've got footage of the worst parts, it's honestly so bad that it's difficult to remember where all the potholes are.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Just explored "fixmystreet" and was told that Kent County Council does not accept reports from third parties.

My cycling "area" spans two counties and thus two different Highways areas and for some reports it's impossible to know which area you happen to be in (without getting home, checking mapping, etc. Hence I use this app as it automatically selects the right Highways Dept to report it to.

If mine refused 3rd parties I'd be adding a comment to each report through the app that it has formally be reported and they thus now have liability.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I've found my Highways in Norfolk very very bad at fixing reported hazards.

Whilst I'd never suggest lying about a pothole, I have found that knowing the local highways criteria for fixing eg 4" deep can help as I don't carry a tape measure with me and "estimates may vary" and I'd not report a pothole 3¾" deep ...