Council takes delivery of its new winter vehicles
With winter fast approaching, Argyll and Bute Council is preparing itself by taking delivery of 17 new maintenance vehicles.
The authority now has 32 front-line vehicles, along with two spare, which are ready for action in the event of a cold snap. Another six vehicles, along with tractors and V-ploughs, can be used if necessary.
Just over half of the road network of Argyll and Bute will be treated when dangerous conditions are forecast. All of the major trunk routes are operated by BEAR Scotland.
Primary school pupils in the authority have also been given the opportunity to name a gritter in each of the area’s four divisions. The winner in each division will see their choice of name on a plaque on the side of the vehicle.
Kintyre and Islands councillor Robin Currie, policy lead for housing, roads and infrastructure services, said: ‘I very much look forward to seeing what names our imaginative young people suggest for our new gritters.
‘Our winter vehicles play an important part in our day-today lives so it’s important we recognise this.
‘We have taken delivery of brand new, state-of-the art vehicles that can control the quantity, width and mix of salt and grit spread on the road. We’ve selected different sizes and types of vehicles needed for the variety of roads in Argyll and Bute and with different capacities to make sure they do the job for which they’re required.
‘I’d also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our roads workers. They are up, in the early hours when it’s cold and icy, to start making 750 miles of local roads safe for the rest of us.’
The council approved an extra £500,000 of winter maintenance funding as part of its budget for 2019/20, which was set back in February.
A spokesperson for the council added: ‘Keeping our roads clear takes careful planning by a team of people who analyse local weather forecast data so we know by the end of each day what we need to do to make sure the roads are treated appropriately the following morning.’