The future of our roads.....dirt tracks?
A letter from Quarry Produces to North Down Borough Councillors highlighted the concern of the members of the Quarry Products Association involved in road construction and maintenance in N I today and who represent 95% of those companies.
I feel very strongly that once again this is related back to RPA, the government propose to foist upon local government the roads system. In the letter from Quarry Products we are told that the Roads Service made a bid for an extra £15 million in June of this year and did not receive a penny. We have a roads networks in Northern Ireland that as an asset is valued at some £20 billion, if we are not maintaining that asset we are devaluating it. If it cannot be maintained fit for propose are we returning to the days of the dirt track? What we have in Northern Ireland is a situation that because of Treasury policy Roads Service have been forced to drastically cut the roads maintenance budget.
So, what we have is a system literally crumbling away, being cut to the bone but at the same time being told to get on with it, have we not heard that same line so many times, for example, education and health. What is being demanded from Northern Ireland simply cannot be done. Do we wait until there is a disaster in any of these areas before someone sits up and realised just what is happening.
I have proposed in council that we write to Quarry Products to have a first hand report from them and as well write to the Minister Mr Woodward and to H M Treasury we must express concern and make sure that the road's budget is at the required levels as recommended by the Regional Transportation Strategy."
I feel very strongly that once again this is related back to RPA, the government propose to foist upon local government the roads system. In the letter from Quarry Products we are told that the Roads Service made a bid for an extra £15 million in June of this year and did not receive a penny. We have a roads networks in Northern Ireland that as an asset is valued at some £20 billion, if we are not maintaining that asset we are devaluating it. If it cannot be maintained fit for propose are we returning to the days of the dirt track? What we have in Northern Ireland is a situation that because of Treasury policy Roads Service have been forced to drastically cut the roads maintenance budget.
So, what we have is a system literally crumbling away, being cut to the bone but at the same time being told to get on with it, have we not heard that same line so many times, for example, education and health. What is being demanded from Northern Ireland simply cannot be done. Do we wait until there is a disaster in any of these areas before someone sits up and realised just what is happening.
I have proposed in council that we write to Quarry Products to have a first hand report from them and as well write to the Minister Mr Woodward and to H M Treasury we must express concern and make sure that the road's budget is at the required levels as recommended by the Regional Transportation Strategy."
posted by Marion Smith at 10:21 AM
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