Road repair costs - YOU might have to PAY !!

Posted by: Don Atkinson on 19 November 2012

Motorists pay c.£40bn pa to the gov.

 

Gov (via the Highways Agency) spends £10bn on operating, maintaining, renewing and expanding the road network.

 

The Highways Agency contracts with companies or groups to operate and maintain parts of the network including motorways. These companies include the likes of Amey, Balfour, Hyder, Jacobs, etc etc They get paid to keep the roads open and to keep them in good repair.

 

Some of these companies (not nesessarilly those refered to above) are able, under these contracts, to charge unfortunate motorists who happen to break down or have an accident on the motorway for the cost of closing the motorway for recovery of vehicles and for repairs to the surface (eg oil spillage damage) and roadside furniture.

 

Seems a bit mean to me and I wonder why the Highways Agency has permitted this new development.

 

Not all events are covered by insurance eg a breakdown accompanied by loss of engine oil.

 

Has anybody experienced such costs or can anybody explain where this development has come from ?

 

Cheers

 

Don

Posted on: 19 November 2012 by Cbr600
Originally Posted by Don Atkinson:

Motorists pay c.£40bn pa to the gov.

 

Gov (via the Highways Agency) spends £10bn on operating, maintaining, renewing and expanding the road network.

 

The Highways Agency contracts with companies or groups to operate and maintain parts of the network including motorways. These companies include the likes of Amey, Balfour, Hyder, Jacobs, etc etc They get paid to keep the roads open and to keep them in good repair.

 

Some of these companies (not nesessarilly those refered to above) are able, under these contracts, to charge unfortunate motorists who happen to break down or have an accident on the motorway for the cost of closing the motorway for recovery of vehicles and for repairs to the surface (eg oil spillage damage) and roadside furniture.

 

Seems a bit mean to me and I wonder why the Highways Agency has permitted this new development.

 

Not all events are covered by insurance eg a breakdown accompanied by loss of engine oil.

 

Has anybody experienced such costs or can anybody explain where this development has come from ?

 

Cheers

 

Don

Don,

      Not in uk, but sounds reasonable. Why should others be liable or costs as a result of such failings?

Posted on: 19 November 2012 by Don Atkinson

Accidents aren't always clrear cut as to cause and effect, or  who is right and who is wrong. As a careing society I think it reasonable that we collectively cover the consequencial costs which are  high in terms of individual funds, rbut elatively small in terms of overall maintenance costs. Its a bit like car insurance, we all pay a (relatively) small premium rather than bear full costs as individuals.

 

Same applies to breakdowns - most are unfortunate, rather than a consequence of individual neglegence. Should I be able to recover costs from my garage who maintains my car ?

 

Cheers

 

Don

Posted on: 20 November 2012 by Cbr600
Originally Posted by Don Atkinson:

Accidents aren't always clrear cut as to cause and effect, or  who is right and who is wrong. As a careing society I think it reasonable that we collectively cover the consequencial costs which are  high in terms of individual funds, rbut elatively small in terms of overall maintenance costs. Its a bit like car insurance, we all pay a (relatively) small premium rather than bear full costs as individuals.

 

Same applies to breakdowns - most are unfortunate, rather than a consequence of individual neglegence. Should I be able to recover costs from my garage who maintains my car ?

 

Cheers

 

Don

Your quote on insurance is a good example. Not all pay low amounts, they are rated and increased relative to level of risk !!

 

If your oil leak is a direct result of negligence from your garage, than yes you should be able to recover consequential costs

 

If you go down the road of the "collective", then that opens up a whole new can of worms. You can then argue that in society there is no such thing as theft, as one person clearly has a need for an item and then just takes it.

Posted on: 20 November 2012 by Don Atkinson

We have to make choices in life.

 

"Every man for himself" v "co-operate"

 

It doesn't have to be black or white, we can co-operate on some things and promote individual welfare on others.

 

Accidents and breakdowns are often the result of (un-intended) negligence somewhere down the line. The consequential costs are more than most individuals can bear. Injured parties, including the Highways Agency and their contractors, are at risk of zero compensation unless we "collectively" contribute. The charges being imposed on individuals look more like pure, bloody-minded extorsion.

 

BTW, if we reverted to "the Jungle" we would ONLY survive if we co-operated. I think its in our nature and our overall interests to do so in general, but not at the expense of promoting individual enterprise.

 

Cheers

 

Don

 

 

 

Posted on: 21 November 2012 by Cbr600

fair point Don!

enough said

Posted on: 21 November 2012 by Don Atkinson

Cbr600, my previous post looks a bit like a sledge hammer on re-reading it. Apologies.

 

I doubt if many people in the UK are aware of this new development yet. It will come as a bit of a shock to anybody affected by it, especially if their insurance cover, or breakdown cover doesn't pay the bill. And I doubt if many will.

 

Cheers

 

Don

Posted on: 21 November 2012 by Cbr600

Living in Ireland for last 12 years, you get used to high insurance. As a mature 53 yr old with max no claims, etc i still pay 600 pa for a focus insurance, and young lads around 18-25 pay around 3000 for a standard car. scary stuff over here