Is this a good idea?

[p3morrisond]

Hi,

So I was driving home on Friday and I ame across a broken down car on a daul carriage way and then a car that had lost control on a county road, both times a local police car was in attendance to protect the cars, this must come at some expense to tax payers to as car had two officers who I am betting could be doing something better with their time. I am thinking a business could be made out of this.

A highly visable car could do the same role as the police and control traffic for a lesser cost than it is for a police car being parked up for am i guessing at least an hour.

The bits i have no idea about is payment, would that be the responsiblity of the breakdown/recovery companies or would the local aurothires pay and how would this idea be pitched to the right people - who is the right people?

I am in Coventry and have a unit 5 mins from j2 of M6 so can get to a wide range of roads within 15 mins like A444, A45, A46, M6, M69 and M42 are the major roads.

I am thinking costs of £45 for first hour and £20 after that, I would estimate 5 calls a day and is scalable by adding additional cars if required and ofcourse new areas etc

What are peoples thoughts?

 

[fisicx]

Isn’t this what the motorway muppets are for?

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

I've think you've badly underestimated the situation.

In more desperate times I went for a job as part of a team of 4 sitting with van ready to go close to South Mimms services in readiness to belt down the hard shoulder, put out cones, direct traffic etc., before the emergency services arrived. This on the basis that every minute lost would cost 'X' amount in terms of lost revenue as people were delayed from going about their daily tasks.

They were looking for 30 people, 6 teams to cover north and south M25, 24 hrs a day. In fact you've said it yourself. 2, 3 or more cars broken down at once and you have to be 3 places at once.

 

[p3morrisond]

Isn’t this what the motorway muppets are for?

On local roads that they tend not to cover

 

[p3morrisond]

I've think you've badly underestimated the situation.

In more desperate times I went for a job as part of a team of 4 sitting with van ready to go close to South Mimms services in readiness to belt down the hard shoulder, put out cones, direct traffic etc., before the emergency services arrived. This on the basis that every minute lost would cost 'X' amount in terms of lost revenue as people were delayed from going about their daily tasks.

They were looking for 30 people, 6 teams to cover north and south M25, 24 hrs a day. In fact you've said it yourself. 2, 3 or more cars broken down at once and you have to be 3 places at once.

Ofcourse would be a limit but you would have to accept as many as you could and the police would have to deal with the rest

 

[WaveJumper]

My previous understanding has been only Traffic Police are legally aloud to control traffic in the UK. Although under the traffic act the Highways England traffic officers have been given the power to patrol motorways and acts as a substitute for the police

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

On local roads that they tend not to cover

They call a breakdown truck.

I'm struggling to see where you think your service fits into the picture?

The Police would most likely be first on the scene. The one's you saw could have been there 2 minutes or 2 hours. You wouldn't be able to move a broken down or crashed vehicle if there were suspicious circumstances and you couldn't determine that.

 

[p3morrisond]

They call a breakdown truck.

I'm struggling to see where you think your service fits into the picture?

The Police would most likely be first on the scene. The one's you saw could have been there 2 minutes or 2 hours. You wouldn't be able to move a broken down or crashed vehicle if there were suspicious circumstances and you couldn't determine that.

To cover the time between truck arriving and whilst it is on scene

 

[m4hmo]

£45 for first hour then £20 an hour thereafter?

Business is not for you.

 

[p3morrisond]

£45 for first hour then £20 an hour thereafter?

Business is not for you.

Explain?

 

[Duke Fame]

Explain?

It's going to cost you a min of £12.50 an hour to employ one person, I'd say you will need to work in 2's so there is £25 before you've bought as much as a traffic cone, vehicle or fuel.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Assuming A) It's legal and B) you can work out who would pay, then you need to look at your numbers.

At the moment it appears that you aren't really thinking in terms of the costs of running and building a business, but looking it as 'earning a bit of cash'.

It's probably not a goer as a business, but thinking about costs can be a valuable exercise in its own right.