Surrey gritters drive further in four days than the distance from London to Bangkok (From Redhill And Reigate Life)

Surrey gritters drive further in four days than the distance from London to Bangkok

12:06pm Tuesday 22nd January 2013 in News

Surrey County Council this week said its fleet of gritting lorries had treated more than 10,000 miles of road over four days.

The council said its fleet had driven further to keep the county's roads free of snow problems than driving from London to Bangkok.

The winter operation kicked into high gear last Friday morning as snow blanketed the county. From then, until the early hours of Monday, the fleet covered 10,184 miles of road - further than the 8,035 miles it takes to drive to the capital of Thailand.

During the same period, the council said workers involved in the front-line operation, including gritter lorry drivers, hand gritting crews and quad bike riders, worked a combined 1,774 hours throughout the round-the-clock operation.

John Furey, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “Surrey’s gritters and ploughs have been out around the clock helping to make roads as safe as possible.”

Coun Furey said: “Much of the time our drivers are braving freezing temperatures, snow and ice, while the rest of us are tucked up in bed.

“Together with our contractor, May Gurney, district, borough and parish councils, we’re doing everything we can to help keep Surrey moving during the ice and snow, and we’ll continue to do so until the weather improves.”

Before the winter, Surrey County Council and May Gurney stockpiled 16,000 tons of salt, which is double the amount needed in an average Surrey winter. The fleet of 39 gritting lorries have been supported by 51 farmers, quad bikes and a ‘monster gritter,’ with hand gritting crews also out gritting pavements.