POTHOLED POLITICS

  IS CHARGING ROAD TAXES FOR POTHOLED ROADS FRAUDULENT ENDANGERMENT OF LIFE OR BREACH OF CONTRACT OR BOTH

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Governments charge us road taxes to use the roads on the basis of provisions of those roads in a good and merchantable condition, such as not to cause danger to motorists.

Roads are a basic requirement for any modern society, not a luxury.

Those responsible for road building and maintenance owe every road user a duty of care.

Any failure to take care of our roads is typically negligent management, or political corruption such as misappropriation of funds.

NEGLIGENCE & CORRUPTION

Where it the line between negligence and corruption? Corruption is where funds are set aside for road repairs, but the repairs are substandard and profits excessive.

Clearly, the repairs to roads in these sample pictures have been a reoccurring feature, suggesting a bodge. Bodges cost less but do not cure the problem in a cost effective way. The civil contractors might be charging for services they are not providing. Or, the money we pay towards roads is going elsewhere.

Politicians are charged with ensuring that allocated monies are spent on the services they are set aside for. Cowboy policies that condone substandard fixes should be discouraged. in terms of something as vital as transport, audits should be regular to ward off any cozy relationships and profiteering. Politicians should tell the truth about taxes, with absolute transparency.

POLITICS - If the state of an economy can be measured by the condition of the country's roads, we and neck high in a slurry pit of cow pats. Of course that is true, as anyone looking at National Debts can see. But how did it get so bad? Where have all our taxes gone? Where has our Road Fund License money gone? Who is taking our money and spending it on other things we do not need. Are Governments corrupt or simply inept?

FRAUDULENT ENDANGERMENT OF LIFE

Having taken our money, Governments use it for just about everything except keeping the roads in good condition. But they know that holes in roads are dangerous, representing hazards to safe driving, and therefore a threat to our lives.

They also know that if we are to transition to a zero carbon society that we need quality highways with the infrastructure in place to support electric and other low emission vehicles. Smooth roads absorb less energy and cause less damage to motor vehicles.

Knowingly creating a hazard is a criminal offence, such as throwing rocks onto highways from bridges. People who do that get prosecuted. Why not then the politicians who allow potholes to go un-repaired, because they did not allocate a suitable budget for those repairs. Should that not constitute criminal negligence?

RAT RUNS - In case you did not know it, a rat-run is only popular because the road planners have got their sums wrong and not designed the main feed roads to and from a town of housing estate correctly.

In this picture we see the other side of a give-way sign in connection with so-called traffic calming measure - where braking has put extra strain on the road. Every road designer knows this, and yet they keep on building houses where the road network is substandard. As if that was not bad enough, the houses in the background do not have EV charging points and the solar panels are only token gestures in visible areas.

INSURANCE CLAIMS

Should insurance companies press claims against Governments, or the Local Authorities who fail to keep their roads up to a good standard?

We would like to see a vehicle insurance policy that protects against potholes, giving the drivers the right to sue the Government department responsible for negligent road management.

BREACHES OF CONTRACT

If you take money for the provision of a service and then fail to provide that service, that is a breach of contract. If you cause damage as a result of failing to provide services to an agreed standard, that is also cause for a claim.

If you cause death by dangerous driving, you will likely go to prison. It should be the same for any injury arising out of a potholed road. The officers of the council or Government department heads should stand trial for criminal negligence.

Please report and log all potholes in your area. Write to your MP and demand an explanation for what might be corruption on your doorstep.

You can audit the accounts of a local authority to see if they have allocated sufficient funds and resources to build, repair and maintain the roads in your area. Check to see if that is the case. How much has been allocated and what the road conditions are. If they are substandard, photograph the potholes to build up a record of the level of suspected corruption.

Be careful when taking photographs not to stand in a road, or otherwise cause a road hazard or distract drivers. The best time to take pictures is early in the morning before the roads are populated.

You will find that most road users are sympathetic to this cause. Nobody likes a rough ride!

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