True Grit was needed and still is!

2.47.00pm GMT Wed 13th Jan 2010

Gritting Teams working flat out to keep vital routes open

Throughout the long cold spell crew have been out across Lancashire gritting and ploughing the main roads. "They have done an excellent job and have been well supported by Highways officers" said County Councillor Bill Winlow, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Lancashire County Council. "However the administration has not done so well particularly as they decided that grit bins in villages and on estates should not be refilled. Surely people should have been given the opportunity to help one another and to help themselves by gritting dangerous junctions and pavements. All praise to volunteers across the county who have helped one another in this difficult period. "In some places bus routes were not gritted, effectively isolating elderly and vulnerable people who would have used the buses to get to the shops, had buses been running on their usual routes. We need to learn from this next time round and make sure that all bus routes are given a high priority. Story continues...........

"Many of the pavements and roads in our town centres have been left untreated leading to people falling and having to be hospitalized in some cases. This is a false economy. We believe that all available manual workers should expect to be transferred to clearing pavements and highways in weather as bad as we have recently experienced. "What is more, people should be actively encouraged to clear their own pavements, drives, shop fronts, etc. At present our blame-culture discourages people from doing this because people are frightened of being sued. "We need local and national statutes that actively encourage people to be good citizens. In many parts of Europe and the USA there are "street cleaning" statutes and in some places "sidewalk sand" is provided free to residents. Perhaps we could learn something from North American and European cousins.