Letters to Fleet News' editor Martyn Moore.

Roadside info boards

A few weeks ago, a reader wrote in to complain about the digital information boards on the side of the A127 near Basildon that never seem to say anything, even when major incidents have occurred.

May I just say I agree wholeheartedly with him.

I was returning home last week and had just passed a sign which said ‘no reported incidents ahead’ when I discovered the road was completely blocked by a car and caravan which had crashed.

I was stuck there for a good hour before I could get through. If the sign had warned me, I could have peeled off on a country road and avoided the incident.

What is the point of these signs if no-one bothers to update them?

 

Linda Francis
Via email

Rip-off Britain’s patchwork society

Your article on the huge backlog in road maintenance (April 10) makes for interesting reading.

Motorists are expected to keep their cars in roadworthy condition and are subjected to the most stringent MoT standards in Europe – we are also the most heavily taxed, yet councils and the Government can allow the roads to fall into an appalling state of disrepair.

I spend quite a lot of my time dodging potholes, which I’m sure is not a safe thing to have to do, and I am convinced that a good many accidents are caused by these potholes – and in some cases craters!

We live in a patchwork society where it seems quite acceptable to continually just patch things up and not do a proper job.

Have you ever tried to claim against a council or the Highways Agency for damage to your vehicle?

They’re very cunning and will wriggle out of everything if they can.

They also employ experienced solicitors who know all the tricks of the trade to ensure that they don’t have to pay out.

Most people haven’t got the time or the resources to pursue such claims and that’s the basis on which they work.

Rip-off Britain springs to mind!

Nigel Gifford
Via email

Ssangyong’s new boss is a breath of fresh air

I always enjoy reading Martin Ward’s CAP column, and last week’s brought a real smile to my face.

In it he quotes the new boss of Ssangyong saying that “the reason most people go into one of his showrooms is because they are lost”!

Nowadays, we’re subjected to so much in the way of corporate talk that often the facts are lost in marketing spin.

Paul Williams is a breath of fresh air.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to drive one of his cars, but at least he’s being realistic, rather than trotting out the company line on how he wants to attract younger, more dynamic customers into the brand.

However, I do disagree with his assumption that awareness of Ssangyong is poor. I think most people will be familiar with the brand thanks to the – how shall I put this – ‘challenging looks’ of its Rodius people carrier.

D. Penfold
Via email