First Minister in war of words with road haulage industry

Nicola Sturgeon has blasted bosses for sending lorry drivers out in the extreme weather.

The First Minister said firms were reckless to clog the roads up with heavy goods vehicles during a red weather warning. But the road haulage industry hit back at Ms Sturgeon’s “frustrating” intervention, saying communities rely on their deliveries.

In a statement to Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon also said hospitals face major challenges from staff struggling to get to work, as she said health boards are being prioritised in the drive to get Scotland moving again.

The chaos on roads such as the M80, which links Glasgow with Perthshire and Fife, was fuelled by the number of HGVs on the road, said Monica Lennon, the Labour MSP.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon said: “I do think we have to be very clear in the message we are sending to companies who deliver goods with HGVs – and this is not a criticism of drivers because driver safety is one of the important issues here.

“During a red weather warning an HGV should not be on one of our trunk roads unless it is absolutely unavoidable.”

Martin Reid, from the Road Haulage Association in Scotland, criticised the First Minister for her remarks.

“It’s really frustrating because she is more than happy to take the credit for the industry when it’s running well,” he said.

“A lot of communities absolutely rely on the deliveries from lorries.”

He added many drivers were already on the road when the bad weather hit.

During a red weather warning an HGV should not be on one of our trunk roads unless it is absolutely unavoidable