GRITTERS are ready to deal with all this winter has to throw at East Renfrewshire, and will be striving to keep the area running as smoothly as possible.

The Thornliebank depot is currently stocked with a massive 4,611 tonnes of grit, which will be continually replenished over the course of the winter. 

Last winter, more than 8,490 tonnes of grit was spread across the authority area.
East Renfrewshire Council’s roads team has a total of 13 grit lorries which cover 195 miles of road across the region. 

The miles covered are all on priority routes and make up 65 per cent of all roads in East Renfrewshire – higher than what most other councils cover with 
gritters. 

Last winter, the roads team travelled more than 61,000 miles and the crew is now on standby 24 hours a day and seven days a week until the end of April 2019.

There are 337 grit bins available to the public across the authority which are regularly topped up for public use. 

All locations can be found on the East Renfrewshire Council website on the “grit bins and gritting locations” page. 

Residents can also collect grit for free at the Thornliebank depot from Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4pm. 

Residents are reminded they have to bring their own container for the grit.

The team is ready for action as soon as there is a notice for any severe weather. 

There will be a focus on gritting priority routes and main A routes, as well as access to important sites such as fire stations. 

The winter crew will additionally target bus routes to schools and other main bus routes throughout the area, as well as routes to local employment areas.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, leader of East Renfrewshire Council, said: “Our teams are extremely dedicated to keeping East Renfrewshire operating to the best of their ability during snow and icy weather. When the bad weather hits, the roads team work round the clock to keep the key routes safe for all of the residents here in East Renfrewshire.

“They are incredibly devoted, travelling across the icy roads themselves to reach the depot, to help our residents get out and about as safely as possible.

“We cannot cover every street in the authority, so it’s important that residents also get themselves prepared with a supply of grit in their home, so everyone helps to play a part in keeping our communities moving this winter.”

More information about what is happening during winter in East Renfrewshire can be found on the council’s website at www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk