End of motorway roadworks misery: strict speed limits scrapped and works shortened in

[super jumbe]

Motorway roadworks will shortened and strict speed limits will be relaxed in a move that will help end the misery of hundreds of thousands of drivers who are caught by "stealth" cameras.

John Hayes, a transport minister , has ordered Highways England to examine whether speed limits at roadworks can be "safely" increased beyond the current maximum of 50mph.

He has also asked the agency to reduce the length of roadworks to a maximum of 10 miles and encourage more use of contraflows on the other side of motorways to reduce disruption.

The Government is creating more than 4,000 miles of "smart motorways" by using the hard shoulder to add an extra lane. The programme is likely to lead to long stretches of roadworks.


Some cameras catch thousands of people per day CREDIT: GARETH FULLER /PA


Mr Hayes said: "I have asked Highways England to look at shortening the length of roadworks to reduce the impact on road users.

"Following my discussions with them, Highways England are working towards utilising shorter lengths and looking at whether they can safely increase speed limits through roadworks, which will improve the overall customer experience and minimise disruption.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...crapped-works/

[super jumbe]

Speeding fines wasn’t this an idea to pay as you go slow maintenence work on motorway? Some work has been going on for over 15 years and nothing done so far we need trusted British contractors if you ask me....

[Meat-Head]

Eh "smart motorway" whats smart when the polish car infront locks up at 70mph because no oil, no where to go

as for 50 mph limit, roadworks, ok mate, you be inches from 70mph traffic

[rds60h]

Meathead, I can see what you mean with "as for 50 mph limit, roadworks, ok mate, you be inches from 70mph traffic" but the nearest some of the work force are is 5 miles away, that is what niggles everyone. If they had to employed as many men as traffic cones they use then roadworks would be over a very short distance or the work finished very quickly.

[GastonJ]

Instead of one 20 mile length of roadworks, they'll shorten them and have two 10 mile lengths of roadworks instead. As for whether it's safe to raise the limit the answer will be no, but at least it looks liek he tried to do something - he must be a nice guy .

Smart roads where the speed cameras are smart. They soon pay for themselves in speeding invoices. 112,000 customers sent speeding invoices last year from cameras installed on the motorways.

[ifred]

Reading between the lines IMO they are telling us that we have years of roadwork ahead from the lack of maintenance and so they come up with a scheme to turn the hardshoulder into a extra lane (cost a few tins of paint) and they going to fund the total repair costs from fines raised by the smart (Iclickclick makeyricheyyou ebay chinese cheap import cameras) motorway!
What can go wrong ?

[ifred]

Eh "smart motorway" whats smart when the polish car infront locks up at 70mph because no oil, no where to go

as for 50 mph limit, roadworks, ok mate, you be inches from 70mph traffic

Stop fibbing Meaty your stolen bike wont reach 50 let alone 70mph, Does it travel for than 50 metres without something falling off?

[GastonJ]

Not forgetting that using the cameras on smart motorways will enable the government to end road tax and charge customers per mile instead, obviously charging more for travelling at peak times. Since you travel at peak times to get to work then you must have the means to pay, so that's all ok. That will also allow them to sell off the motorway network to a bunch of Tory party supporters as a profitable going concern.

[DOUGALMCD]

So in short do away with lecherous people who hand out contracts and the consultants who make money handing contracts down the line. We just have to employ normal joe pay him well enough so he can hire enough men to do the job quickly safely and with a guarantee of how long it lasts. To cap it all we should employ people who check the work is up to a great standard and if any utility companies have to dig up their work should be checked also. Thus ensuring the taxpayer is receiving great standards and value for money and making Britain great again. Oh wait that's right we don't really want that do we?

[GastonJ]

If you look at contracts 'negotiated' by government departments of any description you will see they they always overpay, have no control and if the company concerned doesn't make enough cash we just give them more. If the company concerned commits fraud they just get a slap on the wrist and a year later they obtain even more contracts. If you were to fail on a contract in the private sector you wouldn't get paid, end of. It's not that the public sector staff are crap at negotiating such contracts, just that they're not trained to do so and are negotiating contracts with a gun to their head from government forcing them to contract out very complex services.

[DOUGALMCD]

Ultimately the gov are to blame as they do what those and such tell them, I spoke to a fella once who got a great contract from a council he was great at what he done had all his own trusted reliable workers and suppliers whom he'd dealt with for years. Once contract had started he was given a list by a council of their suppliers who he had to deal with concerning their contract all of their stuff was inferior to his own suppliers and more expensive. All heresay of course It's been that way for long long time. Has private sector improved any of the businesses that were owned by us before they were sold off. They have inflated prices any time they could to maximise dividends. An example being gas and electric suppliers who again put prices up when for years now it's never been so cheap. When any of these companies actually comes up with a way of improving services they are due a bonus nobody would bother but when you put prices up to keep your profits up you need investigated.