Mr Aloysuis Pimpel of the Hole Diggers and Trenchers Federation contacted the VB today.
He was keen to express his members’ concern over the new Government proposal to charge the utility companies for the time spent digging up the roads during the hours of daylight – with extra being charged for rush-hour disruptions.
“Nobody seems to have taken into consideration the effect this will have on my members,” Mr Pimpel pointed out.
“After the lonely dark winter months they look forward to the social contact with their fellow traffic disrupters, the friendly banter with stalled motorists, the exchange of views and technical discussion with visiting trenchers. If our work is to be done at night all this will vanish.
“There is the financial affect on the Island economy to be considered too. The summer school at Lake attracts students from all over the world. Our courses on traffic foiling, maximising plastic barrier and warning lamp placement and of course open- hole nursing are fully booked again this year, as every year.
“If these proposals go through, all that will be lost. Probably forever.”
Image: Lars Ploughman under CC BY-SA 2.0
