Road Closures

[ArabiaTerra]

Perhaps the Council should invest in a couple of these:

 

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/moscow_2004_files/day03_43.jpg

[piggywiggie]

I think this year we should all thank the SIC for doing their job and what an excellent job they do over winter. I mean just imagine if they did nothing! Then I suppose we could moan.

 

Why, they haven't gritted roads near me for a while, and I pay my rates too.

 

Granted they do a good job of the roads they grit and as a Toonie you will also get your pavements gritted and cleared. Heavens forbid you might have to find a shovel and hand grit the roads in da toon

 

why do I think people should thank them for what they do? Because I have grown up with somone who has been woken at rediculious times to come grit the roads for all you moaners and never do you say thank you. You realise they are the first ones on the road and are at MORE risk. Gritting roads isnt just a case of driving. its VERY dangerous. Rather than moaning about things 'not being done' have you actually phoned the department to find out any information?

 

I shall stop tying for now before I say something not so nice....

 

oh and so you know I do help the elderly or less able folks around me when it is snowy.

[owre-weel]

I think this year we should all thank the SIC for doing their job and what an excellent job they do over winter. I mean just imagine if they did nothing! Then I suppose we could moan.

 

Why, they haven't gritted roads near me for a while, and I pay my rates too.

 

Granted they do a good job of the roads they grit and as a Toonie you will also get your pavements gritted and cleared. Heavens forbid you might have to find a shovel and hand grit the roads in da toon

 

why do I think people should thank them for what they do? Because I have grown up with somone who has been woken at rediculious times to come grit the roads for all you moaners and never do you say thank you. You realise they are the first ones on the road and are at MORE risk. Gritting roads isnt just a case of driving. its VERY dangerous. Rather than moaning about things 'not being done' have you actually phoned the department to find out any information?

 

I shall stop tying for now before I say something not so nice....

 

oh and so you know I do help the elderly or less able folks around me when it is snowy.

noo piggywiggy, I can understand where your comming from, but if you make a statement on a public forum be prepared to accept that some folk might not agree with your point of view.

 

Firstly I have been in touch with the roads department on several occasions.

 

Secondly the gritter staff do a good job, one which they get paid to do, but they are not on the front line in Afghanistan risking life and limb.

 

Thirdly, I thank those who I believe do their jobs well and beyond which they get paid, there are a lot of people who never fail to amaze me with the level of help they provide to others, including a lot of Council staff.

 

Your suggestion that everyone is moaning, because they do not agree with your point if view is rather blinkered, and I like yourself help many older people, without expecting thanks.

 

Finally, I don't see why we should all thank the gritter staff as you put it, rather than any other staff in all types of occupation. That doesn't mean I am not thankfull for the work they do.

 

Glad you decided to stop before you said something not so nice

[Ghostrider]

Perhaps the Council should invest in a couple of these:

 

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/moscow_2004_files/day03_43.jpg

 

I don't know why they bothered with those four fire extinguishers.....they might possibly be a tad inadequate.

 

Not reassured by that brick at the front wheel either.

 

I wonder what the pay is like for the operator in the top cab, you'd need a lot of danger money to be happy up there, one hiccup on that beast and you'd be so much overdone Sunday roast.

[JustMe]

why do I think people should thank them for what they do? Because I have grown up with somone who has been woken at ridiculous times to come grit the roads for all you moaners and never do you say thank you. You realise they are the first ones on the road and are at MORE risk. Gritting roads isn't just a case of driving. its VERY dangerous. Rather than moaning about things 'not being done' have you actually phoned the department to find out any information?

 

I shall stop tying for now before I say something not so nice....

 

oh and so you know I do help the elderly or less able folks around me when it is snowy.

Well I was saying exactly that earlier today. The gritter drivers are driving on un-gritted roads........unless they reverse which might be good in some places. I do not criticise the drivers but I might criticise the council if I think their plans to save a few pennies place too many road users at risk.

[zebedee]

DOes anyone know what the roads are like now, Lerwick to Brae?

[piggywiggie]

I know people don't always agree. Everyone is allowed an opinion. I'm not saying the service is perfect. Nowhere is. The gritter men could all just refuse to not do it. Then we would be in trouble.... Shucks.

The thing is people are always so quick to criticise without knowing all the facts. Suppose that's human nature.

 

I'm glad you have contacted the department! Not many would before posting. Gold star for you

 

Over 20 years of people complaining about gritting it gets a bit repetitive.

Just be nice for once to be thankful for what they do, and perhaps try suggesting things positively rather than bah humbug! It's christmas after all!!!

 

Does anyone think Shetland could be jolly this christmas?!

[cuckoo]

Seems to me Piggiewiggie that your the one doing all the moaning .

Pot Kettle black springs to mind !

[shetlandpeat]

The council may not be obliged to grit all roads, how many miles of roads are there?

You can ask the council to consider adding to existing routes, though that may not happen until next year.

 

The amount of salt used varies, for what is called a precautionary grit, it is between 5 and 7.5 g per square metre. Many machines will go up to 40g square metre, this has been found to be a waste of resources.

There is also nothing to stop a community requesting a grit bin and having it filled, yup, you will have to do it your self, I am sure it will be worth it.

If the forecasts indicate a prolonged spell of cold weather, some secondary routes can be missed to save on resources.

Remember, drivers who are on the Winter Maintenance Program can be out all night in certain conditions, gritting their route 3 times or more, if they have to plough, that adds time as both sides of the road has to be done.

It is not easy driving a HGV truck on icy roads, controlling the output of salt and its spread as well as controlling a plough. It is very tiring work. Also, it seems to not be appreciated at times. Many of the drivers will have to do some of their day job as well as many are road workers.

[unlinkedstudent]

The council may not be obliged to grit all roads, how many miles of roads are there?

You can ask the council to consider adding to existing routes, though that may not happen until next year.

 

...

 

There is also nothing to stop a community requesting a grit bin and having it filled, yup, you will have to do it your self, I am sure it will be worth it.

If the forecasts indicate a prolonged spell of cold weather, some secondary routes can be missed to save on resources.

 

Oh yes, there is SP. I can foresee a repeat of car doing a Torville & Dean impression because yet again, a certain area is like an absolute ice rink. Without scrolling back to previous threads, it must be a year later and the grit bin still has a torn lid rendering its contents useless, and what sort of precedent are we, Joe Public, setting by gritting our own (back) roads? Yes, I did contact the SIC about this and yes, I will do so again. I don't mind gritting the footpath around here myself, I don't mind shoveling a certain amount of snow (if I'm physically up to it) but tis a tad hard to see what I'm doing, given that the same streetlight referred to in previous thread was never replaced.

 

Now I do appreciate that the gritter lorry can't physically get in and out to deal with said "ice rink" but it is a public road and given that the SIC can't be arsed to even repair a lid on said grit box, let alone re-locate it so said lid doesn't get damaged again, one can't help but wonder precisely what services non-townies are paying for and not receiving.

 

We're lucky if the pavements get swept once/twice a year let alone gritted. I'm not saying that every single back road should be gritted but where there is a known reported problem, the SIC should address it (as they said they would but have failed to do so). We, the public, can only do so much to prevent accidents from occurring and besides, where does the buck stop as to what the public should do and what the Local Authority should be undertaking?

 

Yes, I'm grateful to the gritter men but in reply to your question, PW, as to what if they refused to do it; afraid there's usually someone else willing to take their place.

[owre-weel]

It's important to remember that it's the department heads, not the drivers who decide which roads to grit and when, and I'm sure they are required to work extra hours at the drop of a hat to make the roads safer and for that we are thankfully.

 

I am concerned however at the additional risk to drivers and passengers who have to drive on ungritted side roads due to reduced gritting because of cutbacks. In addition I'm worried that we will see roads blocked for longer when we have heavy snow, meaning people can't get to the main roads, but only time will tell.

 

 

And Piggywiggy I do hope you have a lovely Christmas possibly a white one

[shetlandpeat]

As you, US are the self confessed "good at it" complainer, why has it not been done?

As you are able to do it yourself, best get onto the Council and get them to fix and fill the bin. Where has this notion that the council have to grit every inch of public highway has come from I just do not know. They never did do it as a matter of course. Perhaps checking out the legal requirements first.

Most journeys are repeat journeys, folk will always find justification for making them, car drivers are good at wanting things changed just to suit them. Buy two instead of one when ure out, if you can afford it.

 

He he, now you know about the lamp post, perhaps more caution.

[khitajrah]

Be careful on the Westside roads tonight folks. The road into town this morning was fine, no problems, but coming back this evening was something altogether different.

 

I had my first experience with black ice this evening on the new 'light absorbing ice rink of death' road into Aith. Brake fully applied and the car was not stopping! Thank goodness I was already going really slow! Drove 10 mph the rest of the way home.

[piggywiggie]

The colder it gets the harder the frost, even if roads have been gritted a few cars still have to drive over it before it works properly I think. I could be wrong (possibly am) thanks for the warning. Black ice can't always be helped. Some roads are always going to be bad no matter how well gritted they are. Just drive as conditions allow

[unlinkedstudent]

Where has this notion that the council have to grit every inch of public highway has come from I just do not know. They never did do it as a matter of course. Perhaps checking out the legal requirements first.

 

Are you insinuating that I suggested this? If so, I suggest you go back and read my post again.

 

Given that you're down in England, you're probably referring to this:-

 

Highways Act 1980, as amended by Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003

 

"a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice." - but this doesn't apply to Scotland whereas most of the rest of the Act does. I'm sure SP will let us know of the Scottish equivalent to this clause, if one exists.