Views from our website

Mar 11 2010 by Graham Brown, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Cyclist Paul Brierley tells of pothole misery on journey to work: MikeLindley read this article and felt the need to get something off his chest:

“When will the council stop the ‘Splash and Dash’ resurfacing of our roads? Halifax Road was resurfaced like this last year and now after this winter there are large patches of road surface with no grip stones, just smooth tarmac. In wet conditions the road will become slippy like a skid pan with no grip for vehicle tyres. Council be warned – an accident due to the poor surface on this road is waiting to happen.”

blaire33 added: “I also think it is fair to say that the state of the roads in Kirklees isn’t on the council’s list of priorities. We have been complaining about Calder Road and Forge Lane in Dewsbury for over a year and still nothing has been done. All we get is a stock response which says it is the bad weather that caused the problem and teams are evaluating the roads. Hmm ... was the weather really that bad in the height of summer last year?

“I also agree with other readers. You can tell exactly where you enter and leave Kirklees by the state of the roads which are markedly worse than those belonging to any of the neighbouring councils. Cyclists are at high risk due to the delicate nature of this mode of transport. Hitting one pothole could cause serious damage, not only to the bike but also its rider.”

Hank offered Kirklees Council some advice: “I think the point is that Kirklees council does not care about the users of its roads. I hate to say it, but we need to get claims against the council for wear and tear of cars, buses, bikes, lorries, everything. If that happened, I’m sure the bean counters would see the benefit of fixing the roads against the cost of claims.

“My other fear is that nothing will happen until a cyclist falls under the wheels of a vehicle before they do something. They have an amateur approach to road care. They should be ashamed of themselves. I live in Bradford and while their roads my not be perfect, they are far, far better than Kirklees’. Why don’t they visit there neighbours and see how the professionals do it?”