The annoying spread of traffic management

Anything goes here.. :) Now with Beer Garden for our smoking patrons.
Post Reply
Message
Author
stumpjumper
Legendary Member!
Posts: 1497
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:10 pm

The annoying spread of traffic management

#1 Post by stumpjumper » Sun Jun 19, 2016 9:39 pm

I live in Collinswood, where there has been a program of replacement of gas mains. Fair enough, infrastructure has to be maintained, but it seems that everywhere I want to go, there are detours and traffic restrictions of various sorts.

Recently, I struck serious restrictions on N E Road, Main North Road, West Terrace and Hackney Road all on the same day.

My complaint is that a lot of the restrictions seem excessive for the work being done. The problem was even featured in the Advertiser a few days ago. My most frustrating day was a while before that, and I contacted DPTI to ask what controls there were on the timing and extent of traffic management. It turns out that it's regulated by an Australian Standard. That raises the question of who polices it.

Here's a possible reason for over-zealous installation of this stuff. If you look at the bollards etc, you'll see that while some engineering companies do their own traffic management - Zinfra and SEM Group for example, a lot contract it out to the likes of Altus, Australian Traffic Group and Complete Traffic Systems, to name three in a crowded market of providers.

The number of providers might indicate that there are rich pickings. The more extensive the traffic management operation the higher the fee, and it can all be justified by chanting 'workplace safety'.

Blocking or restricting a public road is a pretty serious thing. All the shiny new traffic management company trucks suggest that maybe it's a lucrative niche that's being over-serviced by a lot of startups in it for the money.

I drive a 30 year old Kraut tank (not a Panzer, but close) and I'm often tempted to manage my own way through some of the road blocks.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: HeapsGood and 0 guests