Grit drivers get torrents of abuse
DRIVERS of gritter trucks have suffered torrents of abuse from an angry public, despite working flat out during the big freeze to keep roads clear.
Exhausted council workers have told of their dismay at the abuse they have received from members of the public after working 15-hour days throughout the festive period to clear snow and ice on the county's main routes.
Residents in West Lothian were furious that housing schemes hadn't been gritted during the adverse weather period and took their frustrations out on drivers.
Father-of-two Stuart Russell, 45, from Longridge, has worked with the council's roads department for 25 years and was on duty from 8am to 11pm each day during the last three to four weeks, including Christmas and New Year's days.
The Herald & Post was invited into his cab to see how the council's gritting operation has worked after it received hundreds of complaints from householders.
"It's unbelievable the grief we've had from the public. It's been stick, stick, stick," said Mr Russell. "It's definitely been the worst weather I have seen in the 25 years I have worked here.
"I've had people up in the cab calling us lazy b*****ds and got V-signs from passing cars because we haven't been able to get into the housing schemes, but we've had to concentrate on the main routes.
"I hardly saw my son and daughter over the Christmas period because I was out on the roads busting a gut with the rest of the lads trying to clear them so other people could have a normal social life at Christmas.
"My wife says she now knows what it's like to be a single parent. I just wish the public could understand and appreciate what we're going through as well."
During the winter, drivers have to grit a 950km roads network split into 15 routes, each taking around three hours to complete.
Some routes had to be treated more than once during a shift and difficulties for the trucks also caused severe delays for the drivers.
This included impatient drivers overtaking a grit truck and then becoming stuck in the snow a short distance down the road forcing workers to stop and help until the cars could move again.
Mr Russell also said his health had suffered due to the snow. He added: "The work is very demanding and physically draining. My eyes were red raw and I had to use drops to soothe them because the snow is blinding when it's dark and the long hours make your eyes tired.
"My sleep patterns are also bad as I'm still wound up when I get home late at night and my diet has suffered because we're all living off chippies.
"You have to concentrate all the time when you're driving, especially at Christmas when people who have had a drink are walking on the roads."
The cold snap has also meant that a backlog in bin collections in West Lothian may take several weeks to clear.
Council leader Peter Johnston has promised a review of the past month to look for improvements in the service West Lothian Council can offer in future.
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Weather for Bathgate
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 6 C
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