The rubbish roadshow

Given the amount of rubbish that lies alongside the roads these days, it's good to see someone doing something about it.

This scene on the A35 near Poole, though, seemed a good indication of why it doesn't happen very often. The bill for getting two guys to pick up some litter must be quite impressive.

The scene, involving a near-stationary convoy of five vehicles unfolded like this:

Van 1, with lane-closed warning on the back...

Van 2, with lane-closed warning on the back...

Van 3, with lane-closed warning on the back...
(these are three separate vehicles - blow the pictures up and check the registrations)

Vehicle 4: Truck with lane-closed warning on the back and heavy-duty bumper...

And finally... the action: the guys picking up litter, accompanied by vehicle 5.

So the picking up of roadside litter by a couple of people seems to require five vehicles and five drivers.

Might there just be a slightly more cost-effective way of enabling a two-person litter pick?

I have one suggestion – which is not facetious, but I am sure would stand no chance at all of being taken up: conduct the operation entirely on the verge, with two people picking up litter and another using a quad bike and trailer to take it away.