Contractors working to upgrade Swindon’s gas network have been labelled as “so pedantic” after repainting partial road markings.
A Wales and West Utilities team have been working in Ermin Street, where they dug through the middle of a faded bus stop before filling in the hole and painting a U, T and half an O on the road.
Of course, the road makings should read BUS STOP inside a yellow box.
“Talk about laziness, it’s sheer laziness and probably a bit of penny-pinching too”, a retired builder who lives nearby said.
He added: “They could have very easily just got on with the whole job, rather than be so pedantic. It’s actually just really laughable.
“In fact, they probably mixed enough paint to do the whole job but couldn’t be bothered.”
However, Wales and West Utilities by law only has to replace road makings lost through their work and if Swindon Borough Council had not allowed the markings to fade, their paint job wouldn’t have looked so silly.
After being approached by Wiltshire 999s, Wales and West Utilities decided to arrange for the entire bus stop to be painted tomorrow (29 October).
The company’s gas engineering manager Stuart Meddick said: “When we finish working in the road, we need to fill in any holes that we have dug.
“As required by law we must then replace any road markings that are removed during work immediately.
“At times, this can mean that older road markings on sections of road where we have not been working appear faded.
“While it’s then the responsibility of the local highways authority to maintain and replace these markings, on this occasion our team will return to the area tomorrow (29 October) and put back the remaining road markings.”
The essential works – to make sure the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane – began in July and should be completed by November.
