The team that’s keeping our roads safe in winter
AS the cold weather comes once again, a dedicated team of people in Rhondda Cynon Taff are keeping the roads safe for thousands of drivers.
When the conditions call for it – whether it’s night or day – they’ll be out and about driving a fleet of gritters and tending to the county borough’s roads.
But did you know these following facts about the huge operation?
There are 20 gritters in total serving RCT, and 10 are out and about at one time when conditions require them. All 20 are deployed in heavy snow.
They are responsible for 776 miles of road in total, and the priority roads (or Precautionary Salting Network) form a 267-mile route.
Depending on the weather, between 50 and 70 tonnes of salt is used per run of the priority route.
The council’s proactive winter service runs from October 1 to April 30, which is the time of year when you might see gritters out and about.
New technology in vehicles now helps drivers navigate around the routes, and will automatically turn salt on and off, resulting in less waste.
Ross Phillips, 46, from Rhigos, has been gritting RCT roads for more than a decade – and he’s once again out and about in all weather conditions day and night to keep drivers moving this winter.
He also forms part of the dedicated workforce of the Out of Hours 24/7 Response Team, ready for action when called upon.
Ross often has callouts in the early hours to deal with emergencies – ranging from stolen manhole covers, to icy roads and road traffic collisions.
When most people are asleep, Ross is called out of his warm bed to go to work.
He said: “I love my job - every day is different and knowing that what I do helps people makes the cold late nights and early mornings worthwhile.
“My family worry when I’m out and about in all sorts of weather condi- tions, but they know it’s something that has to be done.
“I’ve been doing this job for a long time and I’ve seen a fair bit now, especially heavy snowfall over the years.”
Andrew Morgan, leader of RCT council and cabinet member responsible for highways, said: “It’s thanks to the dedicated work of people like Ross that residents and mo- torists are able to safely travel around the county borough during the winter months.
“They work 24/7 often while the rest of us are asleep in bed.
“Despite the highways being treated, it’s important that motorists realise that grit or salt isn’t magic, and they still need to take their time and drive safely to meet the conditions of the road.
“Just because the road is treated, it doesn’t mean it’s skid-proof.
“One the biggest issues our teams report is vehicles overtaking gritting lorries – this is dangerous and drivers are taking their lives into their own hands.
“We urge motorists to slow down and be patient while we are carrying out the treatment of the network.”