Motorists on the Isle of Wight will benefit from smoother journeys, reduced congestion and faster broadband rollout as the Government clamps down on utility companies for leaving potholes behind after carrying out street works.
From tomorrow (1st April), new regulations will come into force nationwide for a performance-based inspection regime to ensure utility companies resurface roads to the best possible standard after street works, potentially preventing thousands of potholes from developing in the future.
The move comes as the Government is investing over £5.5billion by 2025 in highways maintenance and could help motorists save money on expensive repairs by protecting their vehicles from damage to tyres or suspension. It will also ensure cyclists and motorbike riders can drive more safely and with greater peace of mind.
Currently, about 30% of utility companies’ street works are inspected regardless of how well those street works are carried out. Under the new street works regime, utility companies will be assessed on the quality of their road repairs after carrying out street works, with the best companies inspected less and the worse-performing companies inspected more, based on their performance.
As a result, companies that leave behind roads in poor condition could see 100% of their street works inspected. With highway authorities now charging £50 per defect inspection and a further £120 for follow-up inspections, poor performing companies will now be incentivised to perform better to avoid incurring high financial charges.
While the average failure rate for street works by utility companies is currently 9%, some of the worst performers are failing inspections by as much as 63%.
Other reforms in the inspection framework will help telecoms operators roll-out broadband nationwide and ease congestion by mandating better live updates on roadworks to help drivers plan ahead.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:
“We’re investing more than £5.5 billion over this Parliament to maintain roads up and down the country, and today’s measures are yet another example of how this Government is on the side of motorists and other road users, leaving no stone unturned in the fight against the plague of potholes.
“The new street works regime is a victory for all road users, with motorists and cyclists able to enjoy smoother, safer, and less congested journeys as we continue to level up transport across the country and grow the economy.”
The move will focus on telecom companies in particular, which is the worst-performing sector – responsible for nearly 13% of poor street work repairs. The measures will ensure these companies are checked more regularly until they can bring about noticeable improvements and leave roads in the condition that all road users deserve.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said:
“Potholes not only cause expensive damage to vehicles but are potentially lethal to those on two wheels. Utility companies have a responsibility to ensure roads are properly repaired after carrying out essential maintenance, but unfortunately far too many roads are left in a substandard condition.
“Introducing new regulations to encourage repairs to be done to a higher standard first time around will benefit all road users.”
> poor performing companies will now be incentivised to perform better to avoid incurring high financial charges
orrrrr… they’ll just charge customers slightly more to cover for that 9% average failure rate 😉
A third world country in more ways than one now.
With I.R are doing the easy, longer more remote stretches of our roads to ‘meet the tick box mileage expectations’ , what is the betting that the harder busy, in town, with thousands of drain covers, kerbs, driveways to have to take more time and money on, the cash will have run out by the time they are ‘supposed’ to get around to doing those streets.
LET THE TOADS SEE THE ROADS
A few years ago, a square hole was cut into the Newport bound carriageway on the Racecourse. Something to do with checking what the structure was etc..apparently. Within a week, the entire newly inserted piece of tarmac had been ripped out. It has been replaced a few times but more recently just left. It can be avoided.
This is an example of the entire situation with our roads over here. Repairs are never done properly in the first instance. Just look at the state of the Newport Road into Northwood. Disgraceful, but great work if you can get it!
Yes, and an awful lot of potholes are nothing to do with utilities just poor maintenance by Island Roads, Fairlee Road is another good example.
And what about Great Preston Road, Ryde. Half done job and the town end is like a vibration test track. IR are appalling at best.
Double Yellow lines are meant to be placed outside the old council houses along Great Preston Road
I think IR have lost the paint or need to call in experts to lay the paint.
And just how will motorists benefit from faster broadband rollout ?
The faster they do it, the less inconvenience to the motorists
The clowns doing shytefibre work do not refill the trenches properly and a couple of weeks later the trenches subside as the loose infill compacts, it is fair to say that 90% of the potholes are a result of shoddy work by contractors on the island.
Rubbish.
The vast majority of potholes are due to the original road surface (as laid by Island Roads) crumbling and breaking up.
Very few are down to utilities’ work.
The Island cannot even STOP vehicles parking on pavements
yet alone fill a pothole.
People complain about Island roads, they do a good job, try driving on the mainland, the roads are more than awful.
Obviously written by an employee of IR.
I doubt it, I imagine many of them can’t write, hence working for IR
Island Roads are good at sitting in their trucks
Eating, texting, talking, looking at magazines Tec
Their work output is sh*he
Island Roads are the biggest waste of money ever.
No wonder our council tax is extorninate
There is no Management at Island Roads hence the shoddyness
The cost to the Island is astronomical.
Overstaffed, underworked.
It’s easy when they are not affected by the cost of living crisis
No private Company would employees and pay these layabouts.
Hilarious joke. Their latest trick is displaying closed road signs that aren’t even closed. Along with setting up temporary traffic lights, causing pollution due to queuing and not even working on the road, They are a disgrace, you obviously hardly drive on the mainland with your stupid comment.
Which day was it, that they did a good job?
Unfortunately far too many roads are left in a substandard condition, and that is before the Utility Companies even start!
As Arthur Reeder says in a local area the main Cowes to Newport road South of Northwood in both directions is in a terrible state, had the misfortune a few years back whilst travelling as a patient in an ambulance of telling the driver how to miss the pot holes while their partner was trying to insert a cannula into me.
Mill Hill Road in Cowes from the Co-op to the Cemetary is not a lot better with gravel stains being washed up through the surface which is subsiding in places and breaking up, and no it is not winter frost damage this has been going on for years.
I’m currently in the process of taking Wightfibre to court for digging up my driveway without permission.
Would islandecho be interested in covering this story.
Has nobody realised that it’s April fools day tomorrow
It’s another spaghetti tree joke
This is funny utility companies do a good council should be looking at there own work force there tarmacing is terrible
How come more than 50% of the iron working in
the newly resurfaced roads have sunk or been poorly repaired that thay sink again with a month?