Roads Incorporated

Ok third article on a new blog and I'm going to risk sounding like Jeremy Clarkson. Don't worry I'm not gonna suggest shooting anyone in front of their families. (for this is not ok for English civil servants, this style of death is reserved solely for enemies of the western world, not for those enslaved by it. Way to stay classy, but 'You got him' all that matters.) No after 82 words I'm going to talk about the plight of the motorist. 

Now I know all cars are born of Satans loins these days. Hell if you are smoker and you have front to drive to work then you may as well stop and eat a few new born babies, society hates you, so knock yourself out. Yet the smoking driver who may wish for beer to wash down that illicit meal contributes more in taxes than anyone else.  

However more is to come. Apparently that road tax and fuel duty isn't enough to maintain the very roads we drive upon so the government want to enlist the help of private companies on a long lease. So we'll get the A33 is association with Fujitsu and the Ragu pasta sauce spaghetti  junction.  Actually I quite like that last one. However, why would a private firm want to buy and maintain a stretch of road. 

Well the plans state that companies will get a slice of the road tax money and can put tolls on new roads built. So the money we already give to government to maintain the roads will go to (for arguments sake) Marlboro so they can do it instead. Why not just let the government spend the money? It seems to be introducing a middle man for no reason. And what is stop Marlboro tearing up the A33 re-laying it calling it Filter Road and placing tolls every 50 yards. 

Our roads are such a state for one main reason. The firms that win the maintenance contracts do so by undercutting the other bidders. The work they do undertake is then done to only last 6 months. This keeps money rolling in. If they spent a decent amount did a decent job that would last 6 years the company would be sat around with thumbs up their arses and their stats would look bad. 

How about instead of getting Apple to construct a motorway made of glass and aluminium, we actually spent the money on getting contractors who would lay roads properly and if they don't they lose the contract. 

 Keep Britain moving. Let Marlboro keep tarring our lungs, not our roads.