18 new gritters for North Yorkshire
The County Council has invested almost £2.2 million in replacements
Plans are being done to ensure North Yorkshire is ready for the winter.
The County Council has invested almost £2.2 million in 18 new gritters to replace some of the vehicles in its fleet of 80 gritters.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said:
“We fully understand how important it is for residents and businesses to keep North Yorkshire moving throughout winter. To do that, we need to ensure our fleet stays right up-to-date. That’s why we’re investing now, and why we have a policy that none of our gritters should be more than eight years old and the average age of the whole fleet should be less than five.”
The new vehicles will form part of the NY Highways fleet. NY Highways is a company created by the County Council but operating as a private business. It took on the role of maintaining the county’s 5,800 miles of road after the County Council’s private sector contract ended earlier this year.
Ross Bullerwell, managing director of NY Highways, said:
“Our preparations for winter are going very well. The summer restock of salt is under way and we are doing full summer services of all our existing gritters.
“It is great to have the investment in these new vehicles. It really enhances our fleet and gives us a very young fleet. This helps us to ensure that we deliver a successful winter maintenance programme to keep the roads safe and clear for travellers.”
Cllr Mackenzie added:
“Now, perhaps more than ever, it is vital that we are well prepared and ready to act as we see increasing instances of severe weather around the world, and within our own county. These additions to our fleet of gritters, with four-wheel drive for our most challenging locations, will ensure that we are ready.
“Our investment in these vehicles demonstrates that we remain committed to maintaining the level of our winter maintenance service under NY Highways. This enables us to treat routinely a greater proportion of our roads network during wintry conditions than any other council in England.”