View Full Version : Lack of Snowploughs/Gritters
Thought part of our Council Tax went towards Winter Maintence on the road.
There has been a complete lack of Snowploughs and Gritters on the road today.
The road was blocked between Wick and Haster at one time due to build up of snow .If it had been Gritted and Ploughed this would not have happened[disgust]
Green_not_greed
24-Mar-08, 20:33
Suggest you take it up with the council first thing in the morning. Public safety should not come second to anything!
DeHaviLand
24-Mar-08, 20:44
Thought part of our Council Tax went towards Winter Maintence on the road.
There has been a complete lack of Snowploughs and Gritters on the road today.
The road was blocked between Wick and Haster at one time due to build up of snow .If it had been Gritted and Ploughed this would not have happened[disgust]
So, you're absolutely sure that there was a "complete lack" of snowploughs and gritters out today? What is your source for this? Rumours like this can cause a lot of stress you know.:(
changilass
24-Mar-08, 20:49
Would ploughs and gritters have made much difference in todays winds.
Gritters were out on the Wick to Haster road tonight at 5.
Would ploughs and gritters have made much difference in todays winds.
It was drifing pretty harshly! Anyway..there are a limited number of gritters..they can't do the whole of the region instantly.
seen a gritter heading out on the wick-thurso rd(castletown)...Although i have seen them about they are not puttingthat much down...Going through the streets its pretty slidy....
Most the streets of the main road going through Wick were covered in icy snow. Came back down my street in the car and the car kept going a bit when the breaks were on. Road was very slidy.
they put very little salt on the roads if any you would think they are paying for it the way they put it down. wait to you see the pot holes after they are done gritting and clearing the roads :(
So, you're absolutely sure that there was a "complete lack" of snowploughs and gritters out today? What is your source for this? Rumours like this can cause a lot of stress you know.:(
source Council Transport office:lol:
DeHaviLand
24-Mar-08, 22:32
source Council Transport office:lol:
Well, they obviously got it wrong, because at least two posters have said they had seen gritters. Therefore there could not have been a complete lack of them.[disgust]
peedie man
24-Mar-08, 23:16
they dont seem to be spreading much,there is not a lot of salt stored at the south head quarry,they mix it with sand to make it go farther
Whitewater
25-Mar-08, 00:59
They would have probably have had to pay the gritter drivers triple time today to get them out, I guess the rate of pay is more important than our lives.
It Is Only Pure Salt That Is Put On The Roads!
Out at South Head Quarry there is a huge store of grit/salt for the roads...over the last few days gritters have been going in almost non-stop and the store has depleted hugely! Maybe they are targeting town roads first, before moving onto county roads.
peedie man
25-Mar-08, 08:36
you go out to old coastguards and look down. ive seen them mixing sand into salt .the sand is the pile on the west side of quarry
Well they havnt been out my way yet it's 08:06 & no
sign of them yet, when there's hardly a bit o snow on
e ground thur out e whole time & when they are needed
they are nowhere to be found:(
Murdina Bug
25-Mar-08, 12:45
:roll: Yawn, how predictable - a skifter of snow and everyone rushes to slag off the council gritters again.
Ok, it's been said before but - there are miles of roads out there and there is a set priority for clearing them. There are also a limited amount of gritters/ploughs and drivers. They mix the grit according to the conditions. There is no point in gritting if it is just going to snow on top of it. Just because you can't see a gritter in the immediate vicinity does not mean they are not working.
Also, the snow was forecast and it is not unreasonable for you to take your own precautions, i.e. don't go out in a car if it is snowing heavily, if you must go out take a spade, blanket, first aid kit etc. and drive suitably for the conditions. If all else fails, just wait a couple of hours and the sun will come out again anyway!
I would like to say thankyou to all the wonderful drivers who go out at all times and conditions to clear roads and then put up with moaning minneys having a go at them all the time!
Well, they obviously got it wrong, because at least two posters have said they had seen gritters. Therefore there could not have been a complete lack of them.[disgust]
A swallow does nolt make spring and a gritter does not clear the counties roads....;)
I am strating to feel like there should be a warning on the top of the board: Post at your own risk. Posting an opinion can prove as hazardous to your mental health and well being as slipping on a snow covered, ungritted unplowed pavement is to the integrity of your ankles!
Tighsonas4
25-Mar-08, 13:53
GRITTING
if it is ice on the road and you put salt on it for a time after a cat couldnt walk on it hence the reason for mixing at times it depends on different conditions drive with care tony
The gritters were out yesterday morning from 7am. I know this for a fact as my other half drives one. It was only the main roads which were done yesterday as they were the priority.
You all go on about the poor driving conditions but no one mentions how the men who drive the gritters get to work or the fact that the grit spreads from the back of the gritter and they are actually driving on the ice/snow themselves and not nicely gritted roads. I always tell my other half before he leaves for work in the morning to watch the roads because I know on a few occasions the gritter slides and they have a terrible time trying to stop it and sometimes the roads are that bad they have to salt the road in front of the gritter by hand to get some grip.
ciderally
25-Mar-08, 15:11
The gritters were out yesterday morning from 7am. I know this for a fact as my other half drives one. It was only the main roads which were done yesterday as they were the priority.
You all go on about the poor driving conditions but no one mentions how the men who drive the gritters get to work or the fact that the grit spreads from the back of the gritter and they are actually driving on the ice/snow themselves and not nicely gritted roads. I always tell my other half before he leaves for work in the morning to watch the roads because I know on a few occasions the gritter slides and they have a terrible time trying to stop it and sometimes the roads are that bad they have to salt the road in front of the gritter by hand to get some grip.
ah now there you go... the other side of it...so i shall say well done to all these drivers that do the gritting..
There was a gritter on the Watten road, between 8.00pm and 9.00pm.
I believe they stop at 9.00pm. I was out driving that road until after midnight, yes it was blowing and drifting across the road, but if you drive according to the conditions, no problems.
The trouble is these days, drivers are so used to gritters keeping the roads nice and clean for them, they have no idea how to drive when there is half a centimetre of snow on the road!
Should go back to the days of no salt, and if you were very lucky, the local roadman would be round with his barrow. and throw some SAND on the junctions, the rest of the time you drove on hard packed snow.
Enviromentally is it right we should be throwing all of these tonnes of salt, on the roads, to wash into freshwater burn's and rivers, eventually increasing the salinity of the sea????
Goodness me, how did we manage in the olden days?
Are we getting soft now? Most cars have some form of traction control on them. Get some decent winter tyres, carry a shovel and some hessian sacking in the boot and stop relying on the roads being cleared for you. How the Scandanavians must fall off their sleighs...
Highland Laddie
25-Mar-08, 19:58
The problem now is that it takes the ok from two senior road transport officials in Inverness, before the gritters can be called out up here.
I've been on to the area MSP's, and was sent letter after letter about how they were all going to look into it, all i can think of, is, they are also part time gynaecologists, because i think that was the only looking in they were doing.
It's all very well shouting about taking your time, and the environment,and the cost of the grit the drivers and the trucks, but what price is put on a life !!!!
And even if snow is forecast, it is still worth gritting, as the drivers will tell you, the salt content is good for at least 48 hours after it hits the road.
changilass
25-Mar-08, 20:35
Don't care what the rest of you say. Have just arrived safely in Lancaster and have to say that the roads all the way down were great, espesially the highland ones where most of the snow seems to have been.
Don't know who you are but very well done and a big thank you from me
there was only two council people gritting yesturday...monday...
Lack of gritters seems to be the norm everywhere - Aberdeens Union Street was like a bottle last night and the pavements werent much better. Lethal conditions I was lucky to only slide on my a**e the once!
Don't care what the rest of you say. Have just arrived safely in Lancaster and have to say that the roads all the way down were great, espesially the highland ones where most of the snow seems to have been.
Don't know who you are but very well done and a big thank you from me
That's good news Changi. Enjoy your wee break. :D
I think I hold the record, in Caithness at least, for meeting the snowploughs/gritters yesterday. I can vouch for three at least.
I didn't venture far from home today but was grateful for the guy with the wee "pavement clearer" in the town this morning.
northener
26-Mar-08, 16:43
Friday night/saturday morning. 2.00am.
Road from Halkirk to John O'Groats via Poolhoy and Barrock:
Conditions atrocious, intermittent whiteouts and packed powder snow all over the roads. No gritters on road.
Arrived safely at destination by adjusting my speed and driving style to the conditions at the time. Just like millions of other people in Northern Europe and beyond.
It's not rocket science.
.
Sapphire2803
26-Mar-08, 18:51
We left to drive down to east yorkshire at 4.30am on Monday, the roads hadn't been cleared yet, but we managed. We didn't expect them to be cleared yet, it was still snowing quite heavily and it would've been a waste of time, better to wait until morning. I drove back into Caithness at about 1pm on Tuesday and the roads were clear, even the loop/horseshoe road at Auckengill, so the gritters/ploughs must be doing something. Thanks guys, whoever you are :)
Arrived safely at destination by adjusting my speed and driving style to the conditions at the time. Just like millions of other people in Northern Europe and beyond.
It's not rocket science.
.
Simple really. Like the way we had to drive back when winters were proper and everything didn't grind to a halt because of a severe frost...
You'd think it was rocket science the way some moan on....
well said madpict and northerner,there is too much use of salt on the roads,and driving doesnt seem to be adjusted for the weather conditions by so many people,it beats me that we always rely on salt,abs,tcs,ebd etc etc,what happened to driving sensibly for the conditions
Sapphire2803
26-Mar-08, 22:20
well said madpict and northerner,there is too much use of salt on the roads,and driving doesnt seem to be adjusted for the weather conditions by so many people,it beats me that we always rely on salt,abs,tcs,ebd etc etc,what happened to driving sensibly for the conditions
I agree, but what on earth is EBD??
All we've come up with is Excessively bored driver.... [lol]
northener
26-Mar-08, 22:25
I agree, but what on earth is EBD??
All we've come up with is Excessively bored driver.... [lol]
Extremely Bad Driver? LOtsa them out in the snow:D
Erroneous Braking Disorder? That's when a driver charges down the road in snow, slaps on the brakes at the last minute and wonders why he's just rammed the car in front.
Sapphire2803
26-Mar-08, 22:33
Extremely Bad Driver? LOtsa them out in the snow:D
Erroneous Braking Disorder? That's when a driver charges down the road in snow, slaps on the brakes at the last minute and wonders why he's just rammed the car in front.
I had a postman try that one on me yesterday, he came sliding towards me on the snow and then gave me a dirty look... I was stopped, what on earth did I get a dirty look for? Daring to drive down the road at the same time as him? :roll:
Exreme Blizzard Detector?
I suspect it is Electronic Brake Distribution? A form of traction control which applies the brake on a spinning wheel?
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.