General Election: Would Repairing Our Roads Be Vote Winner?
Discussion
As we run up to the next General Election, it seems the main parties are ditching unpopular policies in favour of bribing voters with more attractive policies.
So, would a promise, by one of the parties, to repair all our broken, noisy, potholed, stress inducing, congested road with new high quality, super smooth surfaces to rival the best in Europe, win Votes ?
So, would a promise, by one of the parties, to repair all our broken, noisy, potholed, stress inducing, congested road with new high quality, super smooth surfaces to rival the best in Europe, win Votes ?
The thing is they probably could, they just need to pay someone to oversee it at a Government level and someone who will actually get decent contractors to do the work properly ONCE, rather than at the moment where they seem to get any old contractor who half-asses the repairs or re-surfacing and it just needs doing again the following year.
Half of Europe can manage it, hell even Wales has lovely roads so it's entirely possible.
Half of Europe can manage it, hell even Wales has lovely roads so it's entirely possible.
In our town at the moment Fibre broadband is being installed, which means a lot of pavement and carriageway is being dug up.
I’m quite impressed though with the quality of reinstatement work - like for like, or better asphalt / concrete / paving, and smooth and level.
It would be good to employ these guys when they’re not doing upgrades to repair the road network.
The shower or incompetents who are contracted by our Council, which should incidentally have “Couldn’t run a bath” on its coat of arms, are poor amateurs in comparison.
I’m quite impressed though with the quality of reinstatement work - like for like, or better asphalt / concrete / paving, and smooth and level.
It would be good to employ these guys when they’re not doing upgrades to repair the road network.
The shower or incompetents who are contracted by our Council, which should incidentally have “Couldn’t run a bath” on its coat of arms, are poor amateurs in comparison.
I do half my annual mileage in Europe, mainly France, and half in the UK.
It breaks my heart that we have allowed our roads to become so poor - towns, cities, country, motorways - potholed, patched up and noisy asphalt. It doesn’t make driving in the UK pleasurable - or maybe that’s the intention.
The main parties don’t seem to care, and most motorists are apathetic.
I’m sure the French would be lynching their politicians if their roads were this bad.
It breaks my heart that we have allowed our roads to become so poor - towns, cities, country, motorways - potholed, patched up and noisy asphalt. It doesn’t make driving in the UK pleasurable - or maybe that’s the intention.
The main parties don’t seem to care, and most motorists are apathetic.
I’m sure the French would be lynching their politicians if their roads were this bad.
As unsophisticated as voters are in certain ways (easily beguiled by an emotionally appealing oversimplification) the level of the pitch does need to be made with care.
Basically, voters might want the moon on a stick but if you offer it your credibility will be so undermined that voters will lean away; a century of utopian offers has made people wise, to an extent, to the limits of the possible. This probably falls into the same category; people think "where's the money coming from?" "You must be cutting X or Y do this" (&c.)
Then there's the strength of feeling regarding this, we're in a bit of an echo chamber here, but the electorate at large probably think a few potholes are small beer vs. gas prices, inflation, waiting lists and crumbly schools.
Personally I think a heavy "motorist" issue front-&-centre would be pretty bad mood music, the sort of thing that turns more people off than attracts them. Keep in mind it's been 35 years since the last strategic, national level highways expansion and improvement plan, and even that wasn't deemed election-fodder, rather it was based on an expansion of use that never materialised...
Basically, voters might want the moon on a stick but if you offer it your credibility will be so undermined that voters will lean away; a century of utopian offers has made people wise, to an extent, to the limits of the possible. This probably falls into the same category; people think "where's the money coming from?" "You must be cutting X or Y do this" (&c.)
Then there's the strength of feeling regarding this, we're in a bit of an echo chamber here, but the electorate at large probably think a few potholes are small beer vs. gas prices, inflation, waiting lists and crumbly schools.
Personally I think a heavy "motorist" issue front-&-centre would be pretty bad mood music, the sort of thing that turns more people off than attracts them. Keep in mind it's been 35 years since the last strategic, national level highways expansion and improvement plan, and even that wasn't deemed election-fodder, rather it was based on an expansion of use that never materialised...
I guess they need doing but temporary traffic lights seem to be the bane of my life at the moment. I have a 35 mile commute, my records is 6 separate lots. On another journey I take once per week, they have closed the road but there are temporary traffic lights on the diversion so they take even longer to get through than they otherwise would. 
It would, for a significant minority of voters. I’m not concerned about billiard table smooth roads (clearly too costly) but the repair of nasty ruts at the edge of roads, especially rural ones where the edges have eroded away and present a hazard to tyres and wheels, the latter becoming increasingly cosmetic and elaborate. I posted on this a few weeks ago, and got some support. Of course I could buy a new Defender or Grenadier with steel wheels to overcome this problem, but this would precipitate a divorce.More posts have now said this is a minor issue in relation to votes, as people feel hard up. True, but there is still a lot of money sloshing around out there for expensive cars, and those who don’t care about the ‘ must have new’ syndrome still need a set of wheels. So, the pothole phenomenon is still a vote catcher.
Edited by Lester H on Monday 25th September 10:15
Rufus Stone said:
I guess they need doing but temporary traffic lights seem to be the bane of my life at the moment. I have a 35 mile commute, my records is 6 separate lots. On another journey I take once per week, they have closed the road but there are temporary traffic lights on the diversion so they take even longer to get through than they otherwise would.
That’s another issue - the time it takes to repair our roads.The French, even with their attitude to work, get things done fast.
In the UK we love to put in temporary roads works, lots of traffic cones, speed restrictions, diversions, dig a hole ….…. then disappear for weeks with no evidence of work or progress.
Pitre said:
I never quite understand why all the services seem to go under the tarmac rather than under the pavement.
Electric (Various voltages)Gas (High and low pressure)
Clean water (Mains and services)
Foul water
Surface water drainage
BT
Virgin
Fiber
Street Lighting
UTC
etc....
That's an awful lot to squeeze into your average 1.7m wide footway....
Geneve said:
That’s another issue - the time it takes to repair our roads.
The French, even with their attitude to work, get things done fast.
In the UK we love to put in temporary roads works, lots of traffic cones, speed restrictions, diversions, dig a hole ….…. then disappear for weeks with no evidence of work or progress.
This too.The French, even with their attitude to work, get things done fast.
In the UK we love to put in temporary roads works, lots of traffic cones, speed restrictions, diversions, dig a hole ….…. then disappear for weeks with no evidence of work or progress.
One on the A508 this summer was for a new gas pipe. Signs went up beforehand advising works for 6 weeks, after 6 weeks they were still there. Took them 10 weeks in the end.
The problem with the highway network and maintenance is less financial and more one of priorities.
I've said it in another thread, too much focus is put on 'upgrading' things rather than just repairing things. If local councils focused the majority of their budgets purely on simple surfacing and patching works then we'd all be driving on much better roads. Instead they love to f
k about with things and spunk money up the wall changing st no-one knew needed changing.
I've said it in another thread, too much focus is put on 'upgrading' things rather than just repairing things. If local councils focused the majority of their budgets purely on simple surfacing and patching works then we'd all be driving on much better roads. Instead they love to f
k about with things and spunk money up the wall changing st no-one knew needed changing. Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff