For the last three years, life expectancy in Scotland has been falling. Our time on this planet is more precious than ever and we don’t have second to waste. Although try telling that to Scottish Water.
This week, it commenced work on Seafield Road in Edinburgh, one of the capital’s key arterial routes, especially in August when traffic is trying to avoid the congested city centre. The resulting tailbacks could probably be seen from the Hubble Space Telescope. I spent nearly 30 minutes in a gridlocked queue moving at a glacial pace.
Reaching the obstruction you always hope to see an army of workers focussed on honest toil rather than the inevitable couple of bored blokes staring at their phones. But we’ve grown used to that in Scotland. According to an interactive map on the website of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner , at one point this week 6,774 streets in Scotland had some sort of disruption underway.
No wonder we have an issue with productivity in this country, it’s amazing we get anything done at all. Needless disruption It’s 30 years since the then Prime Minister John Major deployed his cones hotline to try to get Britain moving. Although ridiculed by political opponents, at the time many welcomed the opportunity to let off steam and highlight roadworks that were causing needless disruption.
Perhaps it’s time to dust the idea down and convert it into an app where motorists can log their frustrations? Keep pavements and cycle lanes open in roadworks even.