The misery of dozens of over-running road, gas and water works across south west London led to just £150,000 in fines last year for the companies involved.
The biggest single fine was £32,500 for Thames Water. Two days of work on London Road in Merton Wimbledon on April 17 last year ended up dragging out over 24 DAYS.
The fine works out at about £1,300 a day for a company which makes nearly £700,000 a day in profits and pays no corporation tax.
Were you hit by over-running works in SW London in 2013/14? See the full list at the bottom of the page to see how much the company was fined. Then let us know what you think by emailing digitalmedia@london.newsquest.co.uk
Six firms were fined a total of £155,800 during the 2013/14 financial year according to Transport for London figures, released after a Freedom of Information request by this website.
The worst fined company was also Thames Water, and the worst hit borough was Wandsworth but Kingston, Croydon, Richmond and Sutton also saw fines levied.
BT, Southern Gas, UK Power, Vodafone and the National Grid completed the list.
Thames Water said it may have topped the table because it carried out more works on London roads than any other company – with 4,000 permits applied for this year – and sometimes discovered the extent of problems, like fatbergs, only after digging down.
A spokesman said: “We know our works can be inconvenient for both drivers and residents and we’re sorry jobs occasionally over-run.
“We try our best not to let this happen, and as well as attempting to minimise impact by adapting working hours and practices to suit the area we’re working in, we’re also trialling innovative techniques - like inspecting sewers using robots - to help us keep off the roads.”
Miserable now? Some of the works which left you on the highway to hell in 2013/14 (story continues below)
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has talked tough on fining companies in London in the past.
In 2010 he said he wanted to raise the penalties under his permit scheme from £2,500 for each day that works over run to £25,000 per day.
But do these figures appear to show Transport for London is netting only a tiny amount back despite the pain and hassle over-running projects cause for commuters and residents?
Alan Bristow, TfL’s director of road space management, said: "We take it very seriously. It’s not something we allow to go.”
In June last year media giant Virgin Media and its contractors McNicholas were prosecuted in a magistrates court by TfL and fined after admitting endangering drivers' lives with sloppy roadworks in Twickenham.
It was the second time they had been prosecuted. They dug up all five lanes on the busy A316 and left the work unfinished causing massive tailbacks.
The judge said she was “horrified by the sloppiness of the works, and the danger and severe disruption they caused” in Chertsey Road the prevous year.
The fines were not counted in the figures published today by this website as they fell in a different financial year.
Just how hard can TfL hit badly run roadworks firms?
TfL has the power to fine companies under 2012 government guidance on street works.
It can also send out an informal warning where work has finished after the estimated due date or where the company has said it has finished but work is still going on or if the road is not fully cleared of building materials and restored when work is finished.
The daily charges are bigger depending on how important the street is – on a scale of 0 to 4 with 0 being the most important.
TfL has the power to waive charges or fine less than the maximum penalty in cases where a company can show its overrun was mostly on the pavement and only briefly affecting the road. Or if less than five items were left behind by ‘genuine error’.
Or if it has failed to finish road marking but is able to show it had no significant impact on drivers.
TfL has to send a bill in writing or by email within three months but the company can negotiate.
If the company provides incorrect information it can be issued with a fixed penalty notice – a criminal fine.
Money gained from the fines can be used to fund the overrun charging scheme with any excess going back to improving transport.
Borough by borough
Kingston
Leatherhead Road - Thames Water fined £2,000
Malden Way - Thames Water fined £100
Croydon
Addiscombe Road - Southern Gas fined £2,500 – Southern said it had attended three gas escapes in Addiscombe Road since January 2013.
Merton
London Road - Thames Water fined £32,500
Crown Lane - UK Power fined £500
Epsom Road - UK Power fined £4,000
St Helier Avenue - UK Power fined £2,500
London Road - UK Power fined £2,000
Richmond
Mortlake Road - Thames Water fined £7,500
Sutton London Road – BT fined £3,000
St Dunstan’s Hill - Southern Gas fined £400
Wandsworth
Balham High Road - Thames Water fined £12,500
York Road - UK Power fined £5,000
Battersea Bridge Road - UK Power fined £2,500
Upper Tooting Road - UK Power fined £7,500
West Hill - Southern Gas fined £100
Roehampton - Thames Water fined £2,000
Wandsworth High Street - Thames Water fined £2,000
West Hill – Thames Water fined £2,500
Great West Road – BT fined £2,000
Latchmere Road – UK Power fined £5,000
Upper Richmond Road - UK Power fined £5,000
Ram Street - Southern Gas fined £8,000
Battersea Park Road - UK Power fined £2,500
Upper Richmond Road - UK Power fined £5,000
pper Richmond Road - Southern Gas fined £2,500
Upper Richmond Road - Southern Gas fined £1,000
West Hill - Southern Gas fined £2,500
Trinity Road – Vodafone fined £2,500
Tooting High Street - UK Power fined £100
Balham High Road - UK Power fined £100
Battersea Park Road - National Grid Gas fined £10,000
York Road - Southern Gas fined £5,000
Trinity Road - Southern Gas fined £10,000
Wandsworth High Street - Thames Water fined £2,500
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