Ready, steady, grit! Bucks gritters prep for coming winter
It’s snow joke, there may be no ice or snow in the weather forecast but you may see Buckinghamshire’s gritters already out and about.
Every year, at this time, drivers take the gritters out for a test run of their usual routes to help re-familiarise themselves with both the machines and regular gritting routes.
The annual event, known as the winter parade, also provides an opportunity to test for safety along each of the routes. If the drivers come across a hazard, such as an overhanging tree branch, this can be noted and addressed before the gritters start to make their regular runs.
From mid-October through to mid-April, Buckinghamshire’s team of gritter drivers are on call around the clock, ready to jump into action as and when needed. When forecasts show temperatures are set to plummet, the crews travel the length and breadth of the county, treating over 870 miles of the county’s most used roads and priority routes, helping to keep roads safer and traffic moving.
As part of the move to Buckinghamshire Highways in April, this year the drivers will be in charge of 25 new vehicles, five of which have new names selected through recent online polls: Rockhopper, Sid, Snow Shark, Hydroblade and Puffin. The contract will also have access to additional gritters to provide resilience during the winter period, should this be required.
Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Residents love giving our gritters fun names and enjoy spotting them when out and about, but we mustn’t forget they carry out an extremely important job in helping to keep our roads safe over the winter. Our expert team of drivers will be out in all weathers and at all times of day and night throughout the next six months and I would like to thank them in advance for their efforts.”
Steven added: “Winter driving can be hazardous at times and even when roads are well gritted, road users should drive according to the road conditions and the weather, taking extra care where necessary.”
For regular gritting updates, follow @bucks_highways on X (formerly Twitter) or @BucksHighways on Facebook. To find out more about how the council decides when to grit roads and the routes the gritters follow, visit: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/gritting
