Roadworks and Council's responsibility

[dandelion]

Hello all,

Wanted to share an experience yesterday and have your thoughts on it…

The road south of Arlesey (Beds) has been ‘being fixed’ for the around 2 months, with stone chips / gravel like pebbles and it has become a hazardous area.

The council has put up temporary 20mph speed limit signs where the roadworks are but as it has been very windy these have fallen over and some detached from their poles. Now they are flapping about on the street, as they’re made of some sort of plastic… imagine a white coloured carboard but obviously more sturdy yet light.

I commute through this road 4 times a day, I like going home for lunch which is only 10min ride away. One of them picked up the wind yesterday and flew at me smacking me on the right side of the neck. The car coming the opposite way swerved a little and by then I was panicking a little as well but thankfully it came to no more.

I called the council yesterday, reported the hazard and my painful experience. Got transferred to another ‘roadworks division’ where I had to yet again explain (as usual) this to a despondent voiced man who gave me a random reference number and said they would investigate / send someone over to fix this. As you might have guessed it, the signs are still there on the road.

This is not the first time this sort of crap happens either, last year just a mile down the road there was a broken tree branch hanging in the shade of the same tree. As a learner, I missed it and whacked my lid. I shrugged it off as it being somewhat my fault and since it was already gone on my way back home. Surely another car took care of it.

Normally I would park up on the nearest bay, pick them up myself and be done with it. But, there is no bay, there is no side walk on this street and I will not put myself or other road users at risk by doing so.

What’s the best option here? Badger the council? Call the whambulance? I've seen plenty of other bikers on this road. Would suck if something happened to them (or any others) due to lack of proper action.

[i.p.phrealy]

wait until next time,
get hit,
sue for compo!

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it is impossible to lick your own elbow...
and if you just tried you need professional help.
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[DrSnoosnoo]

Call the rozzers on 101.

I used that number to report a HUGE oil spill on a roundabout and it was sorted by hometime
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Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[ScaredyCat]

If you have a genuine reference number, I'd phone up again and quote it to check, then the council have been informed and are now liable.

iirc they are supposed to attend to it within 2 hours, that appears to be the guidelines set out for my council anyway. They did a cracking job of clearing up the diesel some twat in an artic left as he went round the roundabout after over filling his tank.

Not only did they clear it up, they phoned up afterwards to tell me they'd done it.
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Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[Rogerborg]

Get Paddy's mashed up SV.
Lay on road, take pictures.
Compo claim for great justice.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Rip them up, chuck them in the nearest field, the chippings are probably compacted by now anyway, so the speed limit is moot. I assume you mean the road that joins Arlsey and Ickleford?
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[yen_powell]

[dandelion]

Ah well, the things are still there on the side of the road.
I suppose it is appropriate to not give a toss like everyone who drives through. If anyone is looking for a compo from the council there's still time! I'm not going to be a bloody NIMBY about it. I'm sure nothing will happen until something serious happens.

[DrSnoosnoo]