Farmers told to clear mud off roads
Tuesday 13th October 2009, 8:34AM BST.
Shropshire farmers were today urged to keep roads clear of mud during the current maize harvesting season.
They are being reminded by Shropshire Council that mud left by farm vehicles can be dangerous to other motorists, particularly in wet weather.
The council says that to help prevent traffic accidents, farmers have a duty to ensure appropriate signs are in place, making other road users aware of possible slippery surfaces.
Farmers are also responsible for clearing away any mud left on the road by their vehicles.
They are being warned too that if council contractors are called out to clear the road — as happens every year — the costs, which have been known to exceed £1,000, will be recharged to them.
Bob Ellis, the council’s head of highways, said: “We are committed to keeping Shropshire’s roads safe for all road users.
“We appreciate how important harvest time is for farmers and are keen to work with them to help them keep roads clear of mud and safe for all.”
Motorists are also being urged to take extra care.
Any farmers who are unsure of their responsibilities and would like advice can call the council on 0345 678 9006 or visit the website on www.shropshire.gov.uk/hwmaint.nsf
The same number can be used by the public to report any problems with excessive mud on the road.
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Mud always will happen during harvest time.However some farmers ie the usual suspects continue not to clear up after them or the contractors they employ.The only way forward is to prosecute or the council get out on to the roads clear it up and bill them direct.Members of the public are prosecuted on a daily basis and home owners if they allowed the road to get in such a state after having contractors on their premisises .
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Forget about the mud… get them to keep their contractors off the road until rush hour has finished. This morning, I was stuck in a huge queue between Newport and Woodseaves. It was caused by a maize harvester and several accompanying tractors/trailers in convoy, which refused to pull over.
Of course when I returned the same way later, the field was harvested, but guess what… mud on the road.
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The newport road has always been a problem . Iremember loads of signs saying mud on road but no action to clear it up.Infact it is a miracle a motorcyclist is not killed as it is piles of mud not odd bits .
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Please leave off the farmers, these people are poorly paid yet provide food for the entire country. I’m sure we can all live with a little bit of mud on the road.
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@ 4 Y Mab.
Farmers are not poorly paid. They are for the most part very well off, they just like to pretend, rather like the Monty Python 4 Yorkshire Men sketch how hard up they are.
I know several farmers, all have put their children through Public School (including the Shrewsbury)
To be fair the ones I know, do keep the roads clear of mud. But many do not.
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rpt Barrington-Black – Nothing is wrong with scrimping and saving to put your children through the very best education system. I applaud anyone (farmers included) who go without to provide a child with the very best education.
However simply putting your child through education in a public school does not mean you are well off.
Many people could afford a public school education for a child if they did not partake in the pleasures of life ie alcohol, smoking, gambling, etc etc
And society would be a lot better off with many more children attending public schools
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The real villains are contractors. Every time a crop is lifted our village is plagued by huge tractors repeatedly racing through, totally ignoring speed limits and depositing mud and debris all over the road. Mostly, their trailers have no lights or registration plates. Why do the police not take action?
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@ Y Mab Darogan
I can see the logic in what you’re saying there.
Oh, wait… no. No I can’t. Not at all.
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@ Jake, the only place you will get stuck behind a tractor is in the country. Perhaps you could move to a town if you don’t like it. Or maybe set off earlier.
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@spencer: I live in Telford. Well, on the edge of Telford. Last time I looked, Telford was a pretty urban looking place. I set off in plenty of time, passed *through* the countryside and arrived at my appointment two minutes early, but thanks for the advice anyway :-)
It doesn’t alter the fact that agricultural contractors appear to have zero regard for anyone else on the road. In fact, I suspect that they deliberately time their activities to cause as much traffic disruption as possible. It’s like a game.
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@ Y Mab: you must live in some kind of fantasy land. Most people aren’t paid enough to spend much on the so-called “pleasures of life”! Adcote school quotes a minimum of £9,000 p.a. for year 7 – that’s 70% of our household income. Prestfelde: £3,740 per term, Shrewsbury £6,232 per term. Boarding is even more.
Returning to the subject, all road users should be aware of possible dangers. If you drive around assuming the road is grippy, that there are no rocks/fallen branches/parked cars/horses/pedestrians around the corner then you’ll be in for a nasty shock one day.
People who expect farm workers to stop for an hour so they can race to work unimpeded should also join the real world – those people were already working when you were still in bed! All those sharing the roads should try to be a little more considerate – it costs nothing.
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I am married to a very conciencious farmer who puts signs up when appropriate and is always quick to clear up the mud on the road…. less can be said about the equestrians down the road who daily decorate the road with copious amounts of horse muck which remains there until nature washes it away! Why are the people paying ridiculous amounts of road tax, the ones who are left to clean up their own mess on the roads yet non road tax payers (Horses) are allowed to soil the highways free of charge???? Answer me that!
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Why oh why can’t people get their facts right? (rpt Barrington-Black #5). This has cropped up before on the Shropshire Star threads – for the last time ‘Four Yorkshire Men’ sketch was from the 1967 British television comedy series ‘At Last the 1948 Show’ by the show’s four writer-performers: Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Marty Feldman. NOT MONTY PYTHON!!!
Honestly *tut*
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When I go to the city, do I moan about slow electric milk floats holding me up and kerb crawlers inconvieniencing me with their stop-starting? No, when in Rome do as the Greeks do!
As for Country Girl’s concern about horse manure on the roads, its legal so I suggest you write to your MP. My mum lived through the London Blitz as a child and if the milkman’s horse provided some valuable fertilizer, the kids would fight over it!
If it bothers CG so much, may I tactfully suggest that she clears it up and puts it on her roses?
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Country Girl, it’s perfectly legal to leave horse manure on the roads, and anyway how does Country Girl suggest horse riders pick the manure up? Carry a bag and shovel on their horse? Then they’d have to get off in the middle of the road (holding traffic up), try to get the manure into the bag, then try to get back on the horse – still holding traffic up – while holding bag and shovel. Tell you what, I’ll lend you one of mine to go out on and you can try it some time. If you’re that bothered, maybe you should rename yourself on here “Town Girl” – it’s a typical townie attitude.
And for information, horses, cyclists and pedestrians are allowed on the roads as of right not by licence unlike drivers (who can therefore have their licence taken off them). Road tax,s trange as it sounds, goes into one big pot of tax and isn’t just ring fenced for the roads. Even if it was used purely for road maintenance then it should be charged on the basis of how much damage your vehicle causes to the road – and in the case of horses, that’s not exactly a lot of damage. Especially if you compare that to heavy, fast tractors…… Council tax goes towards road maintenance in rural areas and I think you’ll find horse owners pay council tax.
On topic, most farmers and contractors in my area are pretty good at clearing up mud although of course some gets left for a few days during harvesting. If you’re driving in the country you should expect to meet hazards such as mud, tractors on the lanes etc. Some of the drivers – local farmers as well as contractors – do got too fast but at least, unlike many other drivers on the lanes, they are usually courteous and considerate. As for the idea they shouldn’t be on the roads during rush hour, I’ve been stuck behind my share of tractors on my way to work but it’s not the end of the world, it’s just a case of being patient and waiting for a suitable chance to get past safely. Most tractor drivers will pull over at the first opportunity anyway.
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KB,
Do you think that you can get your horse to excrete tarmac and try and get him to fill the numerous potholes as he goes about his “business”? … ;-)
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big brother gone mad – no doubt an EC rule!
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“Road tax” was abolished in the 1930s.
Vehicle Excise Duty is like duty on alcohol, insurance tax, income tax and a zillion other taxes – it’s just another tax. It does not confer any privileges on the drivers who pay it, who would do well to remember that they cause the wear & tear, the accidents and pollution that cost so much money and blight so many lives (over 2,500 families every single year, including that of 17-year old local lad Jonathan Humphreys).
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