What are you doing about all these potholes? - Ask the Contract Director #4

Ask the Contract Director!

We understand that as members of the public, you probably have a lot of burning questions regarding the roads around Buckinghamshire. Well, we’re giving you the opportunity to get your questions answered by Transport for Buckinghamshire’s Contract Director!

In each blog post in this exciting new series, we will be focusing on a different frequently asked question. This week, we’re answering:

What are you doing about all these potholes?

Grab a cup of tea, sit back and relax – we’re about to give you all the information you could ever need to know about potholes. Spoiler alert – there’s a lot!

What is a pothole and how is one made?

No, it’s not just a crater in the road that leaves you feeling overly frustrated on your drive to work. No, it’s not the entrance to a tunnel between here and Australia either (yes, this has been a genuine suggestion in the past).

A pothole is where the surface of the road has been eroded and a hollow has formed.

Potholes are most usually formed through a process called the ‘freeze-thaw’ cycle. As roads age, they become more porous, having been worn down by traffic. As the weather gets colder, the potholes can become filled with ice, forcing the hole to expand and push the tarmac up and out. Gaps are created in the tarmac when the ice thaws and turns back into water, and these gaps get bigger each time it freezes and thaws – this weakens the road. These gaps then cave in when traffic travels over the road, creating a pothole.

How do we find out about the potholes?

We can find out about potholes across the county in a couple of ways. Members of the public can report potholes to us via our online reporting tool, ‘Fix My Street'. Reports received by us are sent to the relevant Local Area Technician (LAT) to be inspected.

And speaking of our LAT’s, they proactively inspect their local areas for potholes and other road defects and highway issues, alongside our Highway Inspectors. All defects are inspected and assessed to determine whether a repair is required, and if so, what kind of repair it might need.

The roads are inspected regularly according to a schedule. This means a lot of potholes will be picked up by these inspections and programmed for repair.

How do we determine which potholes are in need of repair?

Around 2,000 potholes are repaired each month – yes, really!

Not every defect on the highway requires an immediate repair. All issues that are reported to us are reviewed within 10 days.

All repairs are based on the risk they pose to the public and depend on:

·        - The extent, depth and surface area

·        - The volume and speed of traffic

·        -  The location such as junctions and bends

·       -   Forecast weather conditions

We aim to make emergencies safe within two hours and other priority repairs within two, five or 28 days. Non-urgent defects will be added to future planned works.

What is the point of a temporary repair? Surely it’s better to fix it permanently the first time around?

It is, but sometimes a temporary repair is needed to make the road safe until a permanent repair is possible.

How do we fix a pothole?

When making a temporary pothole repair, the area around the pothole needs cutting out to make a uniform shape with no jagged edges. The pothole is then cleaned out and coated with a layer of binder to act as an adhesive. Next, the hole is filled with hot road surfacing material which is then raked and compacted. Once the material has cooled, the road can be reopened to traffic.

On rural roads, potholes are fixed using a technique called ‘spray injection patching’. These repairs come with a 12 month guarantee. Repairs made with a jet patching machine are quicker, more efficient, long lasting, low carbon emitting and applied cold so that they are ready to drive on immediately.

Why do we fix one pothole, but not another pothole on the same road?

This is a question we are asked on a regular basis. When we fill one pothole but not another just a few metres away, many people become frustrated with us – and the seeming lack of common sense behind this has been criticised.

The reason behind repairing one pothole but not another on the same stretch of road is very simple; we have a finite amount of finance, and therefore workforce, to fill the potholes. We have to use them effectively to ensure those requiring urgent repair are fixed first.

If we were to use resources filling in a non-urgent repair, a pothole of a higher priority may not be able to be repaired. Safety is our first concern, so urgent fixes must be done first. This means that sometimes, we will fix one safety critical pothole on a road, but not another.

Can I fix a pothole myself?

Well, we’ve already answered that one for you! Have a read here: https://tfblatestnews.blogspot.com/2019/01/can-i-repair-pothole-myself-ask.html 

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Why can't you just do your job properly? - Ask the Contract Director #3

Ask the Contract Director!

We understand that as members of the public, you probably have a lot of burning questions regarding the roads around Buckinghamshire. Well, we’re giving you the opportunity to get your questions answered by Transport for Buckinghamshire’s Contract Director!

In each blog post in this exciting new series, we will be focusing on a different frequently asked question. This week, we’re answering:

Why can’t you just do your job properly?

Our operatives are lovely guys and you may see them out and about across Buckinghamshire as they carry out their day to day duties and repairs. Whilst you shouldn’t distract them from their work too much, they are more than happy to tell members of the public about the work they’re carrying out, advise on a closure they’re putting in place or similar.

However, our operatives do not have knowledge of all the repairs and schemes being carried out across the county, nor do they have knowledge of every single pothole or road defect in the county. They will not be able to advise you of the status of your specific Fix My Street report or an ongoing enquiry.

Sometimes, our operatives are the only ‘face’ of TfB you will see, and so they can take the brunt of your frustration if you are being delayed by roadworks. Sometimes, you might end up having a bit of a rant to them about how long a job is taking, or why you have had to take a detour.

You might also disagree with the work an operative is doing. You might not understand why they're fixing this pothole, but not that one. You might not want to be stuck at the temporary signals they've put in place. You might just want to go about your day without TfB work interrupting it. 

Just a handful of TfB operatives!

We understand why people get frustrated by our works sometimes, but please remember to respect our workers at all times. They are just trying to do their job, and they deserve to be treated respectfully whilst doing so – just as you would expect at work. Too often we hear horror stories of abuse that TfB operatives have suffered because a member of the public isn’t happy about the works being carried out. Our operatives have had bottles thrown at them, been squared up to and sworn at by members of the public, pushed and shoved. They have even been driven at by angry drivers.

The abuse doesn’t stop at our operatives either – office based staff are often forced to deal with abusive messages on social media, hate-filled emails and letters and angry telephone calls. Like our operatives, they shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of behaviour just for doing their job. No matter how frustrated you might feel, it’s worth taking a moment to remember there is a real person at the other end of the phone or computer – a person who doesn’t deserve to deal with being sworn at, being called names or told they aren’t doing their job properly.

How would you feel if it was you being treated this way? If it was your partner, your child, your friend? You’d be appalled that they had to suffer abuse whilst carrying out their day to day jobs.

Our operatives and staff are people’s partners, children and friends. Above all else, they are all hardworking people with feelings who deserve to be treated with respect. Please allow them the right to complete a job without having to worry about their safety or wellbeing – and please show them the respect they deserve.

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Can I Repair A Pothole Myself? - Ask the Contract Director #2

Ask the Contract Director!

We understand that as members of the public, you probably have a lot of burning questions regarding the roads around Buckinghamshire. Well, we’re giving you the opportunity to get your questions answered by Transport for Buckinghamshire’s Contract Director!

In each blog post in this exciting new series, we will be focusing on a different frequently asked question. This week, we’re answering:

Can I repair a pothole myself?

In short, the answer is no. Under no conditions should you ever try to repair a pothole, or any kind or road defect, yourself – and there are a number of reasons why.

First of all, this is a big no-no on from a health and safety point of view.

You could harm yourself or another road user whilst completing the repair due to the fact that you might not know what you’re doing or that you may use the wrong equipment or materials, which could result in an injury. 

Additionally, a road user might injure themselves on the defect that you have repaired. By repairing the pothole yourself, you then become liable for that pothole, and would be fully responsible for anyone trying to claim for damage or injuries caused by it. Could you guarantee that you have fixed it so well, it won’t fall through and will never damage a car or cause injury to a member of the public?

You also need the appropriate traffic management in place for repairing a pothole, and by repairing it yourself on an open road with no protection you are putting your life at risk. You could be repairing the pothole and a car might whizz around the corner and accidentally hit you. It’s not worth putting your life at risk.

Transport for Buckinghamshire has given five Parish Councils the responsibility of repairing potholes in their area, as part of the Additional Services Devolution Pilot. Buckingham Town Council, Gerrards Cross Town Council, Waddesdon Parish Council, Stone Parish Council and Mentmore Parish Council are all participating in the pilot, which means they are responsible for repairs to carriageway defects, repairs to footway defects and miscellaneous defects such as kerb and sign post defects.

Repairing a pothole, or any other kind of road defect, should be left to the professionals who are trained to do the job and are equipped with appropriate PPE and equipment to carry out the repair.

It can be frustrating when you see a pothole on the road, report it and then it doesn’t get repaired as quickly as you would like. However, there is always a good reason behind why we haven’t repaired a pothole. We follow a risk based approach that determines if we do or don’t repair a pothole, and we do this in the most value for money way possible. You can read more about our criteria here: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/day-to-day-highway-maintenance/ 

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