Snow, shovels and shortages
Scotland fights back, but grim aftermath of storm lingers
SCOTLAND is slowly emerging from the aftermath of the Siberian snow storm that paralysed much of the country.
Communities yesterday rallied round to begin the mammoth task of clearing several feet of snow – often relying on old-fashioned spadework.
And shoppers have been assured that supermarket shelves emptied by panic buyers will soon be restocked.
At the weekend, many motorists took to the road for the first time in days following police warnings not to travel – including last week’s unprecedented red alert for much of the Central Belt.
Deliveries of fuel for vehicles and heating oil are days behind schedule but delivery drivers are striving to reach those most in need, firms said.
The vast majority of schools are set to reopen today, with many parents drafting in small ‘armies’ to clear routes to primaries and secondaries.
Last night, 15 local authorities said they plan to open all schools, while eight will provide updates today. Others were still assessing the situation, but Fife has said all of its schools will remain closed.
A Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice is set to be in place for much of the country until 11.55pm tonight.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: ‘Conditions have improved significantly in many areas, but I would urge the public to remain vigilant. Yellow weather warnings are still in place across all but the most westerly parts of Scotland.’
Meanwhile, dairy farms have had to dump tons of milk because tankers were unable to reach them, it was claimed yesterday.
Farmers’ union NFU Scotland said road closures and access issues had caused problems for members throughout the country. Conditions were yesterday improving for drivers, rail users and air passengers following last week’s chaos. Flights out of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen were back on following days of delays and cancellations.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf praised ScotRail after it claimed to be running a ‘near normal’ Sunday timetable yesterday. The firm has vowed to provide a ‘reliable’ service for those going back to work today.
However, the RAC warned that drivers using the car for the first time in days may struggle with flat batteries, while the bad weather had, it said, opened up a ‘plague of potholes’.
Supermarkets have experienced a surge in panic buying, with one Co-op shop in Aberdeen running out of bread within an hour of receiving a delivery. A spokesman for the food chain said: ‘Like other retailers we have experienced some localised disruption but stocks are returning to normal.’
Tesco said it was ‘not aware’ of any large-scale product shortages.
But according to experts, the big freeze could have cost Scotland’s economy hundreds of millions of pounds.
Economist Tony Mackay, from Inverness, said many businesses had been forced to slow production or shut completely. He estimated that Scotland lost around £75million a day as a result.
MILLIONS of families have been told to ration their water use to the ‘essential’ after Britain’s ageing pipe network burst under pressure from the big freeze.
Homes across much of England – including London, the South-East, and the North-West – were left without water yesterday as a result of burst pipes that were only discovered when the thaw arrived.
Up to 13million people across southern England were effectively urged to ration their water use last night. Some water firms have set up bottled water stations.
‘Warnings are still in place’
INCH by painful inch, many spent yesterday digging themselves and neighbours out of drifts created by the so-called Beast from the East snowstorm.
Most schools are open, the main roads are clear (of snow at least – congestion remains a perennial problem) and we are assured supermarket shelves will be restocked after panic buying of bread and milk. But before we get too comfortable, the atrocious weather raises questions about the fragility of our transport infrastructure.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has been making bellicose noises about firms who dock the wages of no-show workers and sabre rattling over HGVs taking to the roads amid weather warnings. He seems out on a legal limb on both counts and really ought to be addressing other issues.
Do we have sufficient snowploughs and the money to pay crews to operate them? What can be done to improve the response on railways so that the next dump of snow will not cripple the network for days? What more can airports do to stay open?
And what status does the red weather warning have – can the Transport Minister really order lorries off the roads?
Mr Yousaf should also be careful not to blame drivers guilty of no more than heeding warnings to get home early for becoming stranded. The Beast caused much human misery and damaged a fragile economy. What we need now is not bullish soundbites but a serious look at the crippling lack of investment that has so enfeebled our transport network.