Roadside hedge cutting

On Friday I drove to to my mothers along the usual route, there is to be a HUGE new development of houses and the boundary along the road has been rail fenced behind an existing tall hedge.  Someone, possibly the devlopers, has hired an expert and he is laying the hedge leaving some trees, a huge task as there is a great deal of it and he has been at it for several weeks already.  It looks absolutely beautiful and will continue to improve as spring comes and the branches sprout; as well and making a safe home for widllife.  I would like to congratulate him, but everytime I pass I have traffic behind me, but I hope to tell him how lovely is work looks and that he should be proud.

A little further along the road there were temporary traffic lights and hedge cutting was in progress - how different was the style and result?? 

This involved a tractor with hedge cutting attachment plus one driver, two white transit vans one with a driver playing with his phone, the other with two men in it both messing with a phone or similar, one man walking with one of those longhandled grabbers picking up bits and putting them on the verge (not very well I noticed as I travelled back the other way).  A lot of traffic cones and two sets of traffic lights.  The results of their work was not at all pleasing on the eye.  Yes I know they have proved that it doesn't matter how ragged it looks afterwards the hedge survives.

This got me thinking, I assumed that the skilled hedge layer would be expensive but all he had was he chopper/axe and his vehicle, he made neat stacks of the wood on the otherside of the hedge, so some collection would have been involved.  The 'council' team using modern equipment must have cost a lot too per hour, 5 men, 3 vehicles and outlay/hire or traffic lights and cones.

This got me thinking and I wonder which hourly rate and amount of progress worked out cheaper?  Which was more pleasing to the eye?  No prizes for my preferred option.