AA Pothole petition

jaffa20

About bloody time!

Motorists have set up a “pothole petition” after a survey named and shamed Ireland’s worst counties for bad roads.

The Automobile Association (AA) said it is looking for signatures to put pressure on local authorities to carry out repairs.

A survey of its members showed Roscommon had the highest number of complaints from drivers who needed their car fixed after hitting a pothole.

Wexford, Monaghan, Longford and Mayo were also among the worst offenders for shabby roads.

Conor Faughnan, policy director at the AA, said road users have sympathy with cash-strapped local authorities but the issue was too serious to ignore.

“It is costing us money but it is also potentially extremely dangerous,” he said.

Mr Faughnan said cyclists and motorcyclists were most at risk.

“If you are on two wheels you are really depending on good quality road surfaces,” he said.

“Swerving at the last second to avoid a pothole can be lethal – so can hitting one.”

The AA has called on all road users to sign the online petition at http://www.aaireland.ie/AA/About-Us/pothole-petition.aspx

Read more: http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/pothole-petition-demands-repairs-498852.html#ixzz1HqNyYUcq

mickdw

There was an EEC directive in the 70s that would make it the responsibility of each local authority to actually maintain the roads and therefore make them liable for an damage/accidents due to poor road surface etc. Our governmed decided it would be in their best interest not to make this law here. So it is possible to push Eu ideas to one side. So next time someone says they have to spend a fortune counting frogs (or whatever) due to Eu requirements, We will know they are talking crap.
As the law now stands, the councils are only liable if you can prove that they carried out a defective repair or left roadworks in an unfit state etc. They are not liable for any damage due to pothole unless you can prove that they repaired it poorly recently - a defective repair.

coylemj

The proposed petition is a complete waste of time.

Everyone knows the roads are in a sh1te state but the country is broke and the local authorities are in an even worse state because with businesses closing down every day, their income from commercial rates is diminishing. As the majority of local authority's expenditure goes on salaries and they can't lay off staff or reduce pay, it means that any reduction in their income comes straight off services, including road maintenance.

It doesn't matter if 250,000 or 500,000 people sign the petition, there's no money to fix the roads.

challengemaster

coylemj wrote: »

there's no money to fix the roads.

Bull. There's still plenty of money being wasted

x in the city

coylemj wrote: »

The proposed petition is a complete waste of time.

Everyone knows the roads are in a sh1te state but the country is broke and the local authorities are in an even worse state because with businesses closing down every day, their income from commercial rates is diminishing. As the majority of local authority's expenditure goes on salaries and they can't lay off staff or reduce pay, it means that any reduction in their income comes straight off services, including road maintenance.

It doesn't matter if 250,000 or 500,000 people sign the petition, there's no money to fix the roads.

exactly..

they can petition till they go blue in the face, but roads wont fix themselves.

local county councils has as much money to spend on roads as school kids

Lord Nikon

Well, if the Dept. of Health can hire potted plants, and waste money, I'm sure councils are wasting it too.

http://www.thejournal.ie/department-of-health-spent-e20k-on-hiring-potted-plants-2011-03/

Vicxas

After the winter the roads are just abysmal, espaecially in large towns like Navan... absurd amount of road damage.

REXER

This guy in the UK had a good idea.:D:D

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/822785-the-man-who-plants-flowers-in-potholes

Cyclist Steve Wheen decided to plant cyclamen, narcissus and polyanthus in the holes after becoming fed up with the state of roads.
The 33-year-old’s green do-gooding is proving popular as his website – www.thepotholegardener.com – has had 25,000 hits in its first month.
‘I’m a mad keen gardener but I live in a small flat without a garden,’ said Mr Wheen, from Shoreditch, east London.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/822785-the-man-who-plants-flowers-in-potholes#ixzz1Ht2oL0Gs

Stark

Won't the roots from the plants make the problem worse?

Vicxas

Stark wrote: »

Won't the roots from the plants make the problem worse?

Yeah wont the roots tear up the road around it?

neuromancer

neuromancer wrote: »

Well, if the Dept. of Health can hire potted plants, and waste money, I'm sure councils are wasting it too.

http://www.thejournal.ie/department-of-health-spent-e20k-on-hiring-potted-plants-2011-03/

They cut that to a third of 2009 expenditure for 2010, €3300 won't fix much roads.

REXER

Vicxas wrote: »

Yeah wont the roots tear up the road around it?

The root don't stand a chance. They will be flattened in no time at all.
The plants will however draw attention to the potholes and possibly shame the local council into action. (I can dream can't I?):rolleyes:

here.from.day.1

Probably wont make any difference, but signed anyway. Now if somebody could sort out the fuel prices..

Vicxas

here.from.day.1 wrote: »

Probably wont make any difference, but signed anyway. Now if somebody could sort out the fuel prices..

Well england lowered theres didnt they, hopefully ireland will cop on too... *crosses fingers*

keithclancy

Would it not just be far more effective to send a letter directly to the Authority and write a letter to your local TD.

Basically theres no money .. so they need to allocate money from elsewhere. Whoever complains the most will get the most attention, especially when its close to local elections

coylemj

keithclancy wrote: »

Whoever complains the most will get the most attention, especially when its close to local elections

Members of local authorities have virtually no power, despite what they might claim.

Anyway, the next local elections are not until 2014.

keithclancy

coylemj wrote: »

Members of local authorities have virtually no power, despite what they might claim.

Anyway, the next local elections are not until 2014.

And the AA do ?

Johnny Utah

keithclancy wrote: »

Would it not just be far more effective to send a letter directly to the Authority and write a letter to your local TD.

coylemj wrote: »

Anyway, the next local elections are not until 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY