Have no fear. I’ve not turned into a ranting car driver, complaining that the bumps in the road spoil my journey. It’s more serious than that. I’ve come close to being thrown off my bike in recent weeks thanks to inadvertently hitting potholes. The damaged road surface pictured – on the busy dual carriageway southern approach road to Blackfriars Bridge – is quite typical: previous roadworks have not been conducted well and the road surface starts to crack and subside. Regent Street, and around Tottenham Court Road / Holborn are especially bad. How hard is it to send a few people around in a truck, dig up a small piece of road, and stick down some new tarmac? Now while I have no problem with some car drivers breaking the suspension on their vehicles, I do care if it puts a cyclist in danger or means the suspension of London buses needs to be repaired more often.
There are too many pot holes within Walthamstow, especially on recently resurfaced roads,its almost a SCANDAL!
A couple of points:
1. One of the problems is that the legislation governing the privatisation of the utilities granted every single utility the right to dig up roads to lay down pipes, cables, etc. I think I remember reading that there are therefore 36 different companies entitled to dig up roads in London. Obviously they’re supposed to put them back properly afterwards but with that sort of confusion it’s not difficult to see how problems arise. Your photo seems to show a problem where the company has just done their own access point, not bothering much about linking it up to the surrounding road.
2. I know for some Councils part of the problem is that the work required to sort it out is just so huge. I have heard figures of well over £100 million to sort out roads in one London borough. The one hole may not be huge, but as you say Jon, it is a huge problem!
coming from the (is)land of potholes, where with every few droplets of rain the roads are reduced to a moon crater, i do actually have an issue with all the tyres i need to change for my car (besides the inconvenience especially when one is already late for work), and would definitely have a problem if a hole results in the breaking of my suspensions!
but i do see your point 🙂