Road Gritting

[b]Any one heard the rumour about road grit running out.Some say there wont be any more untill Wednesday.If this was Scandinavia I think we'd be a laughing stock if we had problems after 2 weeks of snow

Well, I walked along to Tesco this morning and saw a gritting lorry pass me. However, it didn't seem to be making much difference to the road It was fun and games for quite a few people who tried to move their cars in our estate this morning. I didn't bother going out today but I think I'll have to try and get to the shops tomorrow.

Admin wrote:

Well, I walked along to Tesco this morning and saw a gritting lorry pass me. However, it didn't seem to be making much difference to the road It was fun and games for quite a few people who tried to move their cars in our estate this morning. I didn't bother going out today but I think I'll have to try and get to the shops tomorrow.

I live on a street used as a secondary route(?) not seen the flashing orange lights of a certain gritting vechile all day.The words "rats" and "smelling one" springs to mind and its getting slightly cool(!!!)again this evening.Bus services still marked on trackers as part route and 141 may not run

It seems that while there is plenty of grit and salt in Scotland as a whole, some councils are indeed running short.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8438717.stm

Noticed a gritter with 'Scottish Border Council' branding out and about in Penicuik earlier today ploughing and gritting! T'was a big beasty which mean't it wasn't too easy for the turn into Cuiken from John Street. All in all I think they are doing a good job, I notice though that the 47's are still only running to the town centre (not Ladywood) but I wonder if that's more to do with access to the streets i.e. abandoned cars as getting round Ladywood can be a challenge for bus drivers even on the best of days. The council have also updated the website so worth a look, seems they are not in the same position as others...
http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/

I was amazed at the difference between the A701 and A702 roads. You would expect the 702 to be in a worse state as it is higher up but it was very clear, especially compared to the 701 which was down to single lanes on the dual carriageway bit at Auchendinny.
I love the way that Midlothian say they have plenty of grit supplies to deal with this "once in a generation" weather - what has happened to it all then?

musicman wrote:

Noticed a gritter with 'Scottish Border Council' branding out and about in Penicuik earlier today ploughing and gritting! T'was a big beasty which mean't it wasn't too easy for the turn into Cuiken from John Street. All in all I think they are doing a good job, I notice though that the 47's are still only running to the town centre (not Ladywood) but I wonder if that's more to do with access to the streets i.e. abandoned cars as getting round Ladywood can be a challenge for bus drivers even on the best of days. The council have also updated the website so worth a look, seems they are not in the same position as others...
http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/

I will agree it seems NOW are council are seen to be doing a good effort.Perhaps the likes of Fife Council was a wake up call lets hope in the council taxes we don't end up footing the bill.Again great job I'm not knocking them

Congratulations to the council on the excellent job they have been doing today:

No buses services to Ladywood or Deanburn

Many roads not easily passable eg: Cuiken Terrace, despite being the route to a school

Having walked down to Penicuik and back this morning then across to Cornbank and back this afternoon I have seen NO gritters and NO council workers clearing snow AT ALL.

Still no sign of any salt in the bins anywhere - most of them are filled with SNOW instead

If the council bosses are unable to deal with the snow then I am sure the public would be happy to accept their immediate resignations (with no pension or payoff) so that someone who CAN do the job can take over!

Quote :

I was amazed at the difference between the A701 and A702 roads.

A702 is a trunk road and not Midlothian's responsibility. Whether Bear do the job themselves or contract it I don't know but they have performance targets to meet. Could that have something to do with it?

pitsgate wrote:

Quote :

I was amazed at the difference between the A701 and A702 roads.

A702 is a trunk road and not Midlothian's responsibility. Whether Bear do the job themselves or contract it I don't know but they have performance targets to meet. Could that have something to do with it?

Performance targets or not,if the roads & pavements aren't safe,and I also haven't seen much gritting activity,then how can it be safe for children/their parents/teachers all making their way to school if the routes are still dodgy.Why not wait till Monday and that gives the council or said(?)contractors time to do a better clearance,if thev'e still got enough GRIT!!!Then reopen schools etc...

how dae they no jist buy a big umberolly and haud it ower Penicuk so the snaw misses uz ?

com oan guys its winter time it snaws in winter time an it gets cauld

happens a lot

sybil wrote:

how dae they no jist buy a big umberolly and haud it ower Penicuk so the snaw misses uz ?

com oan guys its winter time it snaws in winter time an it gets cauld

happens a lot

If COLD weather happens a lot then our council would get it right!!Grit routes properley and attempt to clear more pavements.Instead its been over 3weeks pavements are still difficult to walk on but council can only say take care to pupils staff and careers.Good get out !!!

"No buses services to Ladywood or Deanburn"
Think I would have been more concerned if no buses had run, at times it difficult enough to get along Rullion Road or into Ladywood without adding ice & snow into the equation.

"Many roads not easily passable eg: Cuiken Terrace, despite being the route to a school"
Some more traffic actually using the road may help plus all the parked cars don't make it easy.

"Having walked down to Penicuik and back this morning then across to Cornbank and back this afternoon I have seen NO gritters and NO council workers clearing snow AT ALL."
Obviously there is no snow clearance anywhere in Midlothian, just because you cannot see them doesn't mean they ain't doing nothing..

"Still no sign of any salt in the bins anywhere - most of them are filled with SNOW instead"
Every other council is in the same vote and if they don't have enough grit to keep roads open then why put it into these boxes?

"If the council bosses are unable to deal with the snow then I am sure the public would be happy to accept their immediate resignations (with no pension or payoff) so that someone who CAN do the job can take over"
Typical rant, look around, watch the tv - this is allover not just in Penicuik (or the South East of England as the BBC would have you believe).

Quote :

how can it be safe for children/their parents/teachers all making their way to school if the routes are still dodgy.

Is it any less safe than the child sledging or walking to the shops when the school is shut??

I'm not sure I would be making Rullion Road a priority at the moment and if I ran Lothian Buses I'd be thinking very hard about running any buses up there until the dumped cars had been shifted.
Cornbank is usually a difficult stretch for bus drivers but the road between Terregles and Deanburn is now down to a single lane because of the car owners who have decided to use it as a car park. Easier than doing a bit of your own snow-clearing, is it?
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986,
Regulation 103 . No person in charge of a motor vehicle or trailer shall cause or permit the vehicle to stand on a road so as to cause any unnecessary obstruction.
Come on, constable. Make their day -- unpleasant.

I see the 47's are not serving Ladywood tonight and note that the council website says that the schools will be open tomorrow, as today but "We would advise parents that if they feel travel to or from school is unsafe, then they should keep their children at home ".

37s not running to Deanburn either.

Alan Rumble wrote:

If COLD weather happens a lot then our council would get it right!!

its happend ever year sin Ahve bin here mebbes no quite as cauld bit its aye cauld in the wintter

http://www.lothianbuses.com/travel/?travel-update-210.html
Interesting. Bears out what I said earlier: you can't get through Rullion Road for idiots who have dumped their cars there. Thankyou to Lothian Buses for finding a solution. Anyone who has trouble getting up the hill (or into Ladywood) now knows the reason why. Selfish bloody motorists.

Nice wording from Lothian;

"37/47/X47 in Penicuik are now running via their normal routes in Deanburn and Ladywood. HOWEVER, if vehicles continue to park indiscriminately overnight and cause obstructions in these areas we MAY be forced to use alternative routes."

Me thinks the council cannot be blamed for some of the bus problems despite what others think!!

Why is it that Midlothian cannot or will not clear the snow from pavements between Beeslack / Mauricewood and Tesco? Surely with it being a school route it should be a priority and all that is needed is some people with shovels to move it, especially now it has become milder.

Well, according to the weather forecast rain is on the way and temperatures are on the rise so hopefully it won't last for much longer now

This morning when I was coming home after going to Tesco to buy newspapers, I found a queue of traffic on the A701 out of Penicuik. I had to go to Fort Kinnaird later and decided to take the long way round up Bellwood and on to the A702.

Does anyone know what the cause was?

Earlier on this evening I was trying to figure out what was making a booming noise outside It turned out to be a guy with a digger who was clearing the pavements in Stevenson road. I have a feeling he won't have touched the pathway next to the landscape which is still treacherous

Better late than never but looking at the state of some footpaths and the piles of snow that have been cleared it could be sometime before nature clears it for us.