Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
DDC contractors have cleared one and half tonnes of rubbish from the A 20 this week.We in this District are having to pay for the clearance of other people's litter.What with the heavy Lorries which use the A 20 and A2 and the up keep of the roads time for a charge to be made on foreign Lorries.?
This weekend Dover will no doubt be grid locked.It would be good for some of these people to spend money in our District.I agree it keeps people in employment on the ferries,but no way like it used to be.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,167
FWIW DDC Scruitiny decided last night to call in Highways England, KCC and DDC to try to sort this out.
Right now each would appear to be claiming it is the responsibility of one of the others and even when one of them gets backed into a corner they then claim that whilst they would love to do something about it unfortunately due to Health and Safety considerations etc etc.
Perhaps we might get some movement on this but in the meantime I'm not holding my breath (except when driving along the M20 when I also keep my windows closed!)
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
My son has just visited from Oxfordshire with his father-in-law who comes from Lancashire, both were surprised and disgusted by the amount of rubbish that lined our main roads.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Maybe the answer I gave here in post 5 is too simplistic?
https://www.dover.uk.com/forums/dover-forum/litter-2Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,560
The last few Sunday's I've seen a couple clearing rubbish around Astor Avenue. Perhaps the Council could employ them?
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Too expensive to provide them with all the things DDC employees get, (and we pay for) Karlos. Uniforms, pensions, sick leave, health and safety training, diversity training, equality training, etc etc etc.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
There are individuals and groups all around the town and district giving up their free time clearing rubbish, where we would be without them I shudder to think.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
And can I say THANK YOU to them ALL.
Happy Easter weekend, particularly Sue thanks.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Had this sent to me well worth a read.
Last year I pushed for a regular clean-up of both routes into Dover. Well reported in local press at the time and even had a live interview on Radio Kent.
My proposal was Saturday nights the roads could close alternatively (week 1 A2 close/ week 2 A20 and so on). This would give 26 rubbish clearances per year. At the time DDC were quoting £10k every time they do a clean-up based on being charged by Highways Agency (Highways England). However is it really necessary to close for H&S reasons as in France they clean their motorways with vehicles (with directional arrows and flashing lights) moving behind the working rubbish collectors.
So a max of circa £500k. With the HGV levy holding £46.5million contributed from foreign HGV's this could be paid for from Central Govt using these contributions that are over double what the Govt expected from foreign HGV's. Above link for Govt written statement
The majority of the mess and filth is from these vehicles and there is money available if someone presses for it. I sought both our MP and DDC to pursue this but sadly no interest shown.
The local ratepayer should not be footing this bill and we have the right to see action to keep these roads free from of rubbish that reflects on the image of the town with visitors
Guest 687- Registered: 2 Jun 2009
- Posts: 513
As someone with a good experience of driving on motorways both UK and European, it is no great problem to keep our motorways clean. You ensure there are ample litterbins at services where rubbish can be dumped, truck drivers in the main are very good at vehicle housekeeping, and to ensure there is a dedicated team of cleansers with a suitably marked vehicle supporting them.
It is wrong to suggest that it is mainly foreign drivers are the culprits, a drive down what I consider to be the UKs dirtiest highway(the A3) which is mainly used by light vehicles will testify to that.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
I am sure H&S regulations are a good get out clause, where there is the will there is always a way.
The problem is those responsible for the state of our roads do not have the will to find a way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
With all due respect Ken it is not a dirtiest road competition, we are talking locally and it stands to reason that with the extremely high proportion of foreign registered trucks that they must be the most guilty. That doesn't mean that other nationalities are any dirtier than us.
The first part of "health and safety" should cover the urine and faeces that are regularly dumped on the verges.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Here is the report I forgot to put in post 10.
file:///C:/Users/HowardMcSweeney/AppData/Local/Temp/Temp1_Rubbish%20on%20A2A20.zip/HGV%20levy's%20first%20year%20of%20operation%20-%20Written%20statements%20to%20Parliament%20-%20GOV.UK.html
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
I think Ken is making the point the rest of the UK suffers from the same plague on its motorways & main A roads. The A3 is notorious as is the Thurrock & the A13 link ins. We sent evidence to Thurrock last week supporting their claims to Highways England & DfT at a high profile meeting. Ours & other litter issues were raised by KCC & Shepway via Nigel Collor at last weeks Commons Transport Select Committee inquiry into Operation Stack & Dover TAP.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
We are still the main entry point to the UK for trucks, holiday makers and many business people Paul and the DFT are collecting colossal sums of money that should be used in the areas that suffer the most.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
This is from the link that didn't work for some.
HGV levy receipts and levels of compliance during the first year of operation.
Andrew Jones MP
Since 1 April 2014 all HGVs at or above 12 tonnes gross weight using UK roads have been required to pay the ‘HGV road user levy’. The levy ensures all such HGVs contribute to the costs of UK road maintenance and removes some of the inequality UK hauliers feel when paying to use many roads abroad. The levy costs up to £10 per day or £1,000 per year. I am pleased to announce that the HGV levy has proved to be a great success in its first year of operation. It has raised a total £192.5 million in receipts, with £46.5 million from foreign-registered vehicles and £146 million from UK-registered vehicles. Receipts from foreign vehicles are significantly ahead of the projected £21 million.
For most UK-registered HGVs, vehicle excise duty (VED) was reduced by the same amount as the levy, and is conveniently paid alongside VED to keep administrative costs to a minimum. Over 160,200 foreign vehicles have been registered on the levy payment system. In total 1.9 million levies were purchased for foreign HGVs:
91% were ‘daily’, ie covering only 1 or a few days
3% were weekly
5% monthly
just 1% annual
despite the discounts available on long duration purchases.
This predominance of more expensive daily levies is a major factor in our original estimate being exceeded. Even so, in terms of revenue raised, 18% (£8.5 million) came from annual levies and 48% (£22.3 million) from daily levies. The number of levies purchased was greatest for Polish registered vehicles (27%), followed by Romania (12%), Spain (9%) and Hungary (7%). The levy has also been a success in terms of efficient digital delivery and customer service. The vast majority of transactions 97% are made through an on-line portal using registered accounts. The remaining 3% of sales have been through assisted digital point of sale terminals on ferries, at truckstops and through agents. This has all been supported by a multi-lingual customer service call centre.
Effective roadside enforcement has been provided by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland, and the police. This has contributed to a levy compliance level for foreign vehicles inspected by DVSA at roadside check sites in Great Britain of 95%. Officers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have issued over 3,000 fixed penalties for levy offences during its first year raising more than £900,000 in fines. DVLA has enforced the levy alongside VED for UK registered vehicles, and over 99% compliance has been achieved.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Perhaps the same system can be used for enforcing fines for speeding and Dartford tolls?
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
The points you make are part of the continuing argument with DfT Howard.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352