Weather / Praise for gritter staff during ‘incredibly busy’ cold spell
MORE than a winter’s worth of salt has been used by Shetland’s gritters since Christmas.
New statistics from the council show that more than 5,500 tonnes of salt has been used.
A total 20 vehicles have been out almost nearly every day between Christmas and the end of January.
During this period nearly 35,000 miles were covered.
Shetland has experienced a cold spell over the last number of weeks which has seen snow and ice affect road conditions, with the gritters playing a vital job.
Who’s been a busy bunch of gritters, then? – our teams in #Shetland have been out almost every day since Christmas, and racked up some pretty impressive statistics #StaySafe @COSLA @PromoteShetland @NLFerries @ShetlandRyan @Shetnews @shetlandtimes @bbcshetland pic.twitter.com/n7RPvAHRRi
— Shetland Islands Council (@ShetIslandsCll) February 10, 2021
Chairman of Shetland Islands Council’s environment and transport committee Ryan Thomson said the new data “shows the exceptional work of our gritter drivers during these very difficult times”.
“They are out, driving on often untreated roads, in the dark, to make sure they are getting cleared and safe to make sure our essential services can continue to function,” he said.
“Our staff continue to go over and above the call of duty to keep us safe. They are often working late, starting early, and have even been working through the night, which often goes unrecognised.
“The fact they have used 5,500 tonnes of salt since Christmas, which is usually a whole winter’s worth of spreading, shows how incredibly busy they have been this year so far.
“My heartfelt thanks to all our gritter drivers and staff for their hard work, dedication, and versatility during these difficult times.”
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