UK vs Foreign road surfaces

by RBuck

08 Jun 2011

A user sent us this recently:

"Having lived a good deal of my life overseas, I am horrified at the condition of our roads. They are VERY seldomly resurfaced and as soon as they are then either the gas, water or other services HAVE to dig up a section "as a matter of urgency"!

When they have finished the job they fill the hole in and cover it with tarmac and consider it job done. The fact that within a MONTH that hole will sink leaving the road looking like the North Sea on a windy day, does not even enter into their heads!! Where I lived in South Africa, ALL roads were regularly tested for evenness and flatness on a regular basis and woe betide the company or service that botches a repair to the road.
Despite all the revenue in this country made by the government from motorists, they are treated with distain when complaining about road conditions.

We have rain and the road falls into disrepair and all the councils do is PATCH the potholes which should have been a temporary measure but usually isn't and it falls back into a hole the next time we have heavy rain/snow!"