Gritters

I have read about the gritters gritting the main roads sometimes to no avail due to it raining after they have gritted. Up to a couple of years ago they gritted from Bolton Road onto the estate to Willow Grove School because all of the pupils are ferried in by parents or minibus/taxis. No gritter has done this route for at least 3 years but there are a lot of bends and the roads are on a slope.I don't know how the vehicles make it down then up off the estate Again it is all right gritting the hundreds of miles of the main routes but that does not help any driver who has to try to get off any estate to the main road

Surely you don't expect them to grit every estate and side street?! Its nigh impossible! For obvious reasons the main roads and motorways have priority.

Cheshirecat no I don't expect them to grit all the estates but there are main roads on estates which could be done at least once so the arterial streets could be used. Some of the main roads have been gritted at least 3 times

I would say they are mainly access roads on an estate, not main roads?
Think yourself lucky that you dont live in a rural area where the nearest main road is about a mile away in some cases more!

believe the they are told to just grit bus routes and major roads

Cheshirecat, those who “live in a rural area where the nearest main road is about a mile away” don’t pay over £2000 a year to live in a council-maintained urban area?

Pardon me, Tonker but I don't really understand the point that you are making?

I think tonker is saying for the money we ALL pay in council tax/rates we are all entitled to have our roads gritted not just people who live on the main routes

I would imagine councils grit roads they deem as a priorty. And rightly so.

A bit like A&E prioritising patients, as there is only so much you can do with the available resources at hand!

If you have to leave your car parked outside of your house for a day or two, its not the apocalypse?

I've just driven to Manchester and back without any problems.
. The road from my exclusive housing estate hadn't been gritted which I expected so I just drove slowly until l got to the gritted main roads
On route, there was just patchy fog. One car in the bushes on a bend in Red Rock and on the way home via the M62 and M6 a broken down lorry at the Orrell roundabout

I cleaned mine out just before Christmas. They were full of leaves and moss off the roof!

Posted by: Big Harold (43) [View Big Harold 's page]
"I've just driven to Manchester and back without any problems.
. The road from my exclusive housing estate hadn't been gritted which I expected so I just drove slowly until l got to the gritted main roads"

Well done A bit of common sense, understanding and a bit of patience is all that is needed, Big Harold. Its not very difficult

Not been out in the car since Monday but will have to go out tomorrow or Saturday supplies getting low for the basics Milk Bread Eggs Tea bags .Not risking trying to get to the bus stop because no gritting near me and the footpaths are nearly as bad as the roads.

Wiigan Council only grit the roads on estates if it is part of a bus route, but this year, the one on our estate has not been gritted as in the past years for some reason.

Either they have forgot, but more than likely becaues they have made cut backs on what roads are to be gritted because of cut backs in central funding by the government!

OC I am all for the main roads being gritted but it would be nice to get off an estate to get to these main roads.People have asked for grit bins on their streets. I asked who would spread the grit from these bins,I also said people would come along and take the grit for their own drives. I have just read on another forum were this has happened Most years we get snow then icy conditions and every year we are not prepared for it.Some roads get gritted then it rains and washes the grit away then the road is iced over again.I was surprised yesterday the bins got emptied high praise to the bin crews working in arduous conditions but I don't how they managed to drive on to the estates without a struggle.

PeterP

There is a grit bin in our street which is now nearly empty desite no grit having been put on our street.

Hardly surprising when like yesterday, a person arrived in a car and proceeded to fill two tubs which no doubt was for his own drive etc.

Proving that the grit bins are a waste of money on estate streets.

Why didn't the residents spread the grit on the road then people can't come and fill their own tubs? That is what the grit is put there for.

The grit won't jump out of the bin on its own and spread itself!

Cheshirecat as a risk assessment been done for joe public to spread grit on the road Do they have to put signs out to say gritting in progress and wear appropriate safety equipment Hi vis vest safety glasses and gloves,Who supply's the shovels and how much grit can you safely put on a shovel .Which is the correct way to carry a shovel and then cast the grit onto the road Do you risk walking down the road or on the slippy footpath to do the job.You may think I am taking the p**s but some snowflake could get hurt doing the gritting and try to sue the council for negligence

Posted by: PeterP
"You may think I am taking the p**s"

You thought right, Peter

The council have made grit bins available and it is the residents choice whether or not they utilise them, wear a hi viz vest, how much grit they put on the shovel etc!

"Do you risk walking on the slippy footpath to do the job."

You would have to risk that anyway to get on to the street even if the council gritted your street! As far as I'm aware, they don't grit your drive / footpath

Some people moan about there being no grit bins available.
When they are made available, they will not utilise them!

I don't blame the council for not gritting side streets as its fraught with danger especially when vehicles are parked on both sides of the road.
Imagine how much compensation they would have to pay out if a 4 ton gritting wagon scratches the paint off several residents cars

The window cleaner manages to get up the side street and get up the drive / path with his ladder. As does the Royal Mail postman, UPS / DPD parcel delivery driver, the Deliveroo staff etc.

How do they do it?!

I said, “I cleaned mine out just before Christmas. They were full of leaves and moss off the roof”!

Sorry, but I didn’t have my glasses on!

Gritting the gutters

Well, I didn't get to go to work yesterday, nor today. Nothing to do with the roads, but car totally frozen over again.

Managed to get to the shop tonight though as there'd been a partial thaw. Drove slowly and carefully up the iced over roads (two of them) until I got onto the main drag where the busses run, then it was okay.

Slowly does it when it's like this - no need for speed.

Question: Do all-electric cars have trouble starting during minus conditions?

The bloke who drives the gritting wagon is called Gary.
Gary Gritter!