National Pothole Day

Potholes are a common problem, and residents and road users to make an extra effort to report road defects online so that they can be inspected and repaired.

Winter weather can wreak havoc with the roads, but TfB has worked hard to repair damage done by the floods last year as well as recently embarking on a patching programme. Potholes are, however, an unfortunate inevitability, as any small imperfection or crack in the surface of the road can develop into a larger defect due to the freezethaw cycle. Water gets into the structure of the road, then freezes, expanding and pushing up the tarmac, and then once thawed, gaps are created, which get bigger with every cycle, weakening the road. TfB repairs hundreds of potholes every week, and rely on routine inspections and reports from the public to identify areas that require attention.

Ruth Vigor-Hedderly, Cabinet Member for Transport said, “All road users are familiar with the sight of potholes, and we are no different to all counties in the country when it comes to road defects. We rely on reports from our road users to enable us to repair these issues, so I would urge you to help us out on National Pothole Day and report at least one!”

Potholes over 300mm wide and 40mm deep are classed as ‘category 1’ potholes and will be repaired first. If you spot one, you can report it in many different ways:

Online: www.buckscc.gov.uk/telltfb

Phone: 0845 2302882 / 01296 382416

Twitter: @tfbalerts using the #NationalPotholeDay

I spy... a rogue sign on the road!

Transport for Buckinghamshire is undertaking a purge of unauthorised signs at the end of January and they need your help to spot them.

TfB has become increasingly aware of the number of rogue signs that have appeared around the county, including advertising and promotion posters, and business display signs. These items will have been attached to road signs, placed in verges or on street lights without the consent of the County Council, which is an offence under the Highways Act 1980.

Transport for Buckinghamshire is entitled to remove such posters and signs, which it is planning to do towards the end of January. Instead of issuing a fine, TfB will hold the signs at their depot and make them available to their owners for a fee of £50, which will help cover the cost of its removal. If unclaimed by the end of February, all remaining signs will be disposed of.

TfB would appreciate your help in identifying these nuisance signs which can distract drivers, cause obstructions in the road and even injury to the travelling public. If you spot any sign, poster or obstruction in the road or footway, please report online - www.buckscc.gov.uk/telltfb, through Twitter @tfbalerts, or simply call their contact centre - 0845 230 2882 or 01296 382416 and let them know what you've spotted and the location of it.

Ruth Vigor-Hedderly, Cabinet Member for Transport said, "Unauthorised signs can cause many problems to our residents and road users, and are a nuisance to us. We are taking this opportunity to make a concerted effort to get rid of all signs that do not relate to the highway and have not been authorised by us, so please keep an eye out, and report anything you see that you think may need to be removed."

Any poster or sign on the highway needs to be authorised by TfB. Their policy on posters can be found here: www.transportforbucks.net/Roads-highways-and-pavements/Fly-Posting.aspx