country roads

[Mrs Bucket]

When it comes to gritting it appears to depend on where you live as far as im concerned the gritters and HC get nil points disgraceful but ten out of ten for the bin men

[rainbow]

I personnaly think the council have done a reasonable job this time, considering the cold spell went on for so long. The main roads were all kept open. The Highlands are the size of Belgium with thousands of miles of roads, so it would have been physically impossible to treat all the roads at the same time, and priorities had to be made. Main roads need to be kept open to allow services to operate and also deliveries of food.
I live at the end of a farm track and when I built the house not for one minute did I expect the council to grit and clear my road as a priority. Some people do prefer to live out of town nowadays but they must take the consequences for their decision. My access road is still a sheet of ice but I think common sense prevails (and yes I pay loads of council tax). Much as I would like the road gritted I realise resources and finances are tight, and I think peoples expectations nowadays are far too high at times. Years ago people would have made do with being snowed in, with no electricity and very little food.

[Phill]

I can't complain about the gritting, top marks this year from what I've seen.
Were off the main road a bit but generally our road has been cleared and gritted 10AM which is more than acceptable in my view.

The bins are a little frustrating now, getting on for nearly a month without a collection but we can get some of the rubbish to the recycling centre at Wick so not the end of the world.

I'm very happy with how the roads have been gritted taking everything into consideration.

[Mrs Bucket]

I personnaly think the council have done a reasonable job this time, considering the cold spell went on for so long. The main roads were all kept open. The Highlands are the size of Belgium with thousands of miles of roads, so it would have been physically impossible to treat all the roads at the same time, and priorities had to be made. Main roads need to be kept open to allow services to operate and also deliveries of food.
I live at the end of a farm track and when I built the house not for one minute did I expect the council to grit and clear my road as a priority. Some people do prefer to live out of town nowadays but they must take the consequences for their decision. My access road is still a sheet of ice but I think common sense prevails (and yes I pay loads of council tax). Much as I would like the road gritted I realise resources and finances are tight, and I think peoples expectations nowadays are far too high at times. Years ago people would have made do with being snowed in, with no electricity and very little food.

It is the main routes I am referring to. The roads in Sutherland and Ross shire have been much clearer as I have been up and down to Inverness regularly. Is a reasonable job good enough? As for years ago well we have moved on.

[Gronnuck]

When it comes to gritting it appears to depend on where you live as far as im concerned the gritters and HC get nil points disgraceful but ten out of ten for the bin men

Of course it depends on where you live! Do you live on an arterial road? Is it a bus route? As has been said it is impossible to grit every road at the same time. The resources have to be prioritised. Just because you pay council tax doesn't give you a right to instant personal service. The council has to balance the needs of all of the community.
IMHO the council and its workers have done a great job given the circumstances.

[Mrs Bucket]

Of course it depends on where you live! Do you live on an arterial road? Is it a bus route? As has been said it is impossible to grit every road at the same time. The resources have to be prioritised. Just because you pay council tax doesn't give you a right to instant personal service. The council has to balance the needs of all of the community.
IMHO the council and its workers have done a great job given the circumstances.
I for one do not expect special treatment that is just silly I have noticed on my trips to Inverness that once you leave caithness the conidtition of the roads improve with little or no patches of ice or snow. There has been more snow in thet area as well. Just an observation maybe they have better machinery

[Leanne]

I for one do not expect special treatment that is just silly I have noticed on my trips to Inverness that once you leave caithness the conidtition of the roads improve with little or no patches of ice or snow. There has been more snow in thet area as well. Just an observation maybe they have better machinery

Have you ever thought that generally towns have less snow drifting onto the road due to the fact that the urbanisation provides shelter in itself? Get out here with long roads surrounded by open fields and suddenly the snow settles much easier. Also there are less rural roads Ness way. There is always more cash for the towns as there is more 'traffic', be that pedestrian or motorised.

[Phill]

.....once you leave caithness the conidtition of the roads improve with little or no patches of ice or snow. There has been more snow in thet area as well.

I may be wrong but isn't the A9 down to Scotland Transerve (or Bear etc.) to maintain not the HC. So it would in theory get the same treatment.....ish.

And don't forget the patchiness of the weather and the microclimates that are affected by the different hills & mountains etc. And then there is the changable wind which will cause drifts and cover a recently gritted road in minutes. Not only can there be vast differences in different sides of the county but even over a couple of miles. I sat here the other day in pretty much blue sky all day whilst watching dark black CB's unleash their loads on Dunbeath for a few hours.

[Bobinovich]

Having travelled to Inverness and back in the last 36 hours I saw temperature variations from -11.5 to +4 and can honestly say that all the main, and most of the arterial, routes were fine (thankfully) with things only getting worse as you go to smaller tributary roads. Even the parking areas and paths we used were relatively clear, making it no worse to drive or walk on than a wet day.

This is how I would expect it and only have praise for the work carried out to keep these main routes useable.

Funnily enough the puddles were deeper inside the Eastgate multi-storey car park where the snow was melting off everyone's cars and creating large pools!

[Caithness Lass]

Personally I feel that the gritters have done an amazing job. They were the people out on Christmas and on New Year making sure that the main routes were cleared. I'd take my hat off to anyone who'd help the community on these holidays

[Vistravi]

I for one do not expect special treatment that is just silly I have noticed on my trips to Inverness that once you leave caithness the conidtition of the roads improve with little or no patches of ice or snow. There has been more snow in thet area as well. Just an observation maybe they have better machinery

Aye untill you hit ness and you're hit with an ice rink of a city centre at times. Our car collided into another because of that. Thankfully no one was hurt and there wasn't too much damage to both cars. Scared me something silly though as our baby stopped moving! Thankfully after getting checked out our baby is fine just got a fright.

[Boozeburglar]

Second that..

I was driving through Crown at 5pm and the driver in front decided to stop, I slid for ages on a flat straight, though luckily I had left enough stopping space.

Totally iced up everywhere here.

I don't think they are doing a bad job, but it is impossible to get to every road as needed.

It is up to all of us to drive with care.

[Vistravi]

Second that..

I was driving through Crown at 5pm and the driver in front decided to stop, I slid for ages on a flat straight, though luckily I had left enough stopping space.

Totally iced up everywhere here.

I don't think they are doing a bad job, but it is impossible to get to every road as needed.

It is up to all of us to drive with care.

My partner had 4 car lengths but still hit the other car. In kinmylies the temp has been -5 and below and often just above it but the roads regardless of the temp have always been fine and clear. But then you get to our road and then everyone gets stuck.

Ness's problem is that the snow is thawing but not quick enough during the day and then freezing at night creating the ice rink for roads.

[mentallywinnie]

Had to respond to this post with my own story....
Last Tuesday I had reason to make an appointment with the Dr's the only time they could give me was 8.40am on Thursday...
I rang HC AND the Community Safety Officer in Inverness (in the Chief Executive Office down there)
Must also mention, I am an amputee wheelchair user..
I explained my circumstances to them, and the fact that taxi's were unwilling to come to my road due to it being a pure ice rink.
At SEVEN AM on Thursday morning the council truck with two men onboard came driving carefully round, one blokie got out and spread grit on the pavement and road outside my house and several others' houses, got back in the truck and drove off, but not before I gave them a VERY grateful wave!
Ten minutes later the 'road gritting lorry' came round and did the whole street.
VERY high praise indeed to those 3 men :D

[floyed]

I think they have done well with the roads, but most of the pavements are terrible!

[Mrs Bucket]

Second that..

I was driving through Crown at 5pm and the driver in front decided to stop, I slid for ages on a flat straight, though luckily I had left enough stopping space.

Totally iced up everywhere here.

I don't think they are doing a bad job, but it is impossible to get to every road as needed.

It is up to all of us to drive with care.
I have noticed some areas in the Highlands seem to manage to keep the main roads clearer the others like I said earlier maybe they have better equipment.

[igglepiggle]

We travelled to inverness on friday and home again yesterday and the roads were very clear, i have high praise for the highland council and transerve, out in all weathers and at all times. With tempatures as low as -11 yesterday, the roads were well gritted and clear.