THERE are so many pressing, vitally important issues in today’s world that I began wondering recently if we should be concentrating so much news space on potholes.
Our papers have devoted enormous coverage to the subject of Bucks’ cracked-up roads, and the Star even jokingly sent a spaceman out to examine the ‘craters’ in High Wycombe.
But when people are starving and dying elsewhere in the world, and when there are earthquakes and other terrible natural disasters, should we really be so concerned about a few holes, I asked myself.
After all, I was recently publicly accused by the county council of putting too much focus on trivial issues – and I have to accept the press sometimes does go overboard on fairly inconsequential stuff.
But the more I hear and see about potholes, the more I am convinced this is far from trivial and is indeed one of the major issues of the day in Bucks.
In this week’s Bucks Free Press, I edited two reader letters on the subject. One was from a man called Mark Austin who told of his frustration at the deteriorating state of the roads.
Lots of readers will empathise with Mark when he says driving around Wycombe is now more like an adventure ride as you swerve round the holes.
But he then chillingly warns these holes could cause road accidents and deaths.
Another letter, from Robert and Jo Bate of Hazlemere, complained about the state of the roads in Amersham and Chesham and said this was making them “ashamed to say we live in this otherwise beautiful county”.
This is all nothing new. I have had numerous letters over the past few months from other disgruntled readers.
And, despite all of this, it still shocks me, when I drive on the main roads around here and have to swerve round these pits. Occasionally, I don’t spot them and plunge straight through, risking my car’s suspension.
I have some sympathy with the county council. I am aware they are sending crews out constantly to fix the roads, and that they recently overturned a proposal to cut spending on potholes.
I also cannot blame them for the rotten winter that led to everything cracking up. Repairing potholes is a tremendous drain on County Hall finance which has been severely hit by lack of Government grant, according to councillors. You would literally have to pour millions into a giant black hole before you could repair all the little black holes in south Bucks.
Furthermore, I also know the cabinet member for transport, Val Letheren, and am aware of how effective she is. Val, who I have known since the mid-90s, is one of the best people around for solving these types of crises.
And yet… despite all of this reasonable mitigation, I simply cannot accept Bucks residents are getting a good deal here.
One of my colleagues, Liz Collins, drives in from Bicester every day and says the roads are fine in Oxfordshire. But as soon as you get to Wycombe – and Daws Hill Lane in particular – it’s like another country.
Star sub-editor Sony Koleth strayed out of Wycombe this weekend and went to Milton Keynes, and noticed a significant improvement in the roads there.
So what have Bucks residents done to deserve this hell then? And, as Mark Austin asks, why do taxpayers put up with this?
He suggests that every resident who sees a pothole should complain to the council. Then if enough residents complained, something would have to be done to make repairing our roads a priority.
No doubt, councillors will say the money would have to be drawn instead from another budget and something else would suffer.
But seriously, how long are we all going to allow our roads to put us and our cars in peril, and how long are we going to allow ourselves to be ashamed of our own county?
Oh, and by the way, council tax went up this month.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here