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Council to pursue hit and run drivers
Reporter: JANICE BARKER
Date online: 30 November 2009
TOUGHER action will be taken against drivers whose vehicles damage Oldham Council signs, walls and street lamps.
Hit-and-run motorists who drive off and leave the damage for the council to clear up will be pursued for the cost of repairs, as well as legal and office costs.
And residents are being asked to shop any vehicle they spot crashing into walls and street furniture.
Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, is leading by example. In recent weeks he has taken the registration of a 40ft lorry which swung round and demolished a bus stop with its back end.
He added: “A couple of weeks ago a vehicle came off a trailer and went through two sets of railings so I took photos and passed them to the council, and the company has paid in full.
“These bills run into thousands of pounds. Money is tight and will be getting tighter, and when the damage happens we all pay for it as council-tax payers.
“I am not asking local people to challenge the drivers, but to note the registration numbers and possibly take photographs.”
If police are called to accidents they already pass driver details to the council, which attempts to get the money back for repairs through insurance companies.
If police are not called, highways officers are going to knock on doors and see if local residents can help. And if they do trace the driver, they will try and recover the costs, whether they are insured or not.
Detailed records of all the damage will be logged, and regular case conferences will be held by highways staff and legal officers where action is being considered.
Comments
oh and mr Al£ock i like to add that if this is the case i will personally pursue your council for the costs of suspension damage to my 3 year old car due to speed humps and pot holes i have to drive through.
i will also help my friend who's car skidded into a wall well below the speed limit due to the poor road surface.
and also help the truck driver whos trailer was damaged due to an idiotic traffic island bollard that was placed in his way and he couldnt get past.
My God! His Immensity is now creeping around town with his Box Brownie at the ready. Another job to add to his burgeoning portfolio. If it gets any bigger He will need to be careful of swinging around & demolishing a bus stop with his back end. Can we pursue the same policy & chase A£cock & his phoney cronies for the cost of repairs to all the council buildings damaged & neglected by their inertia, e.g. Town Hall, Market, Libraries, Eustace St. The beat goes on!
Most damage around our way has got to be done by the bus operators followed by the gas, water, electricity and telephone providers. The councils own workers do a lot of damage too.
Have Your Say
Al£ock before you try leading by example will you follow other neighbouring boroughs and provide the adequate roads to prevent such accidents in the first place.
poor road surfaces, inadequate resurfacing, idiotic traffic calming and pointless bus lanes are all contributing to these accidents as mortorists have to overcome these obstacles as well as fellow road users and pederians!
By fedupoldhamer @ 30/11/2009 14:14:32