Sir, - As a regular pedestrian and cyclist, I am becoming increasingly frustrated at the terrible state of repairs made to city streets and pavements. These repairs are usually made by contract engineers after laying cables and pipes, often on behalf of our semi-state companies (ESB, Telecom Eireann, Cablelink, etc). It seems to me that poorly laid tarmac is the preferred method of repair for anything with a hole in it!
It is now common to see tiles, paving bricks, old cobbles and even kerbs replaced with humpy mounds of tarmac. The black quick-fix can be seen replacing dug-up concrete and stone on many pavements (Dublin's Lower Abbey Street has a particularly good example). It is also common to see repairs which have obliterated important road markings such as pedestrian crossings and stop lines. More often than not, these road repairs then break up or sink under heavy traffic. This in turn creates serious hazards for cyclists and causes needless noise pollution for residents and passing pedestrians as lorries bounce over the uneven surface.
Quite apart from the dreadful aesthetics, the unevenness of many of these botched jobs is dangerous and is playing into the hands of litigious people. Do contractors not have to obtain permits in order to dig up our streets and paths? And if so, is there no stipulation that they must be repaired to the original standard or better? Are these repairs, many of which deteriorate rapidly with use, ever monitored over time? Is there anyone with the power to demand better? - Yours, etc., Cearbhall Beggan,
Arran Quay, Dublin 7.