I do sometimes wonder what is going on when a road / part of , is dug up
and left for days , without ever seeing any body working at the site .
Boris appears to have a good idea here , which would work for the rest of the country ( although i don't know what 'tough-ish' would mean
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/6964836/The-roadworks-scam-that-costs-Londoners-1-billion-every-year.html
//The whole system is a disgrace, and that is why London is now pioneering the first partial remedy. Together with 16 boroughs, we are launching a permit scheme, so that these companies will have to apply for a time-limited permit to do their work and face tough-ish fines if they overrun.//