Councillors Peter Convery, Mhairi Low, Ann Galbraith, Sandra Goldie, Stan Fisher, John Allan and Bill Grant.
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South Ayrshire Council today (24 September) launched a new strategy for the management of roads for winter 2010, bringing benefits for road users and pedestrians in the area.
Learning from the unprecedented winter conditions of last year, the Council has adopted wide ranging improvements in the identification, prioritisation and treatment of roads during periods of icy or inclement weather.
Following a comprehensive review, the Council has identified and graded major, trunk and minor roads according to the risk they might pose motorists, pedestrians and other road users during winter months.
More detailed maps showing these roads and up the minute route information on gritting will be made publicly available and regular precautionary patrols will be undertaken throughout South Ayrshire to continuously assess road conditions.
The Council will also increase the number of footways being gritted across South Ayrshire, improving public safety and bringing benefits for pedestrians and the local business sector. Previously only Ayr town centre footways had been treated.
Councillor Peter Convery Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and the Environment explained: "The Council has a duty to maintain the road network and to improve road safety especially during winter months.
"The adverse weather conditions experienced last year have been confirmed as the coldest in the United Kingdom since 1978.
"During the months of December 2009 and January 2010 Council undertook six times the level of normal gritting operations and used over 50% of the normal annual salt usage.
"Although we coped, lessons had to be learned from the extreme conditions and I am pleased we now have a robust and viable winter roads service strategy in place to help us deal with the worst winter weather.
"In addition to icy conditions, the Council has also identified known wet or hazardous spots which we will be publishing and we will be providing permanently located grit bins in local communities and key areas providing support to the overall gritting strategy.
"We will replenish our salt stock levels to a capacity of 4000 tonnes in mid-December and will provide support to local communities with regular supplies of salt for new salt bins.
"Road service employees with an operational responsibility for the winter programme have also undertaken a full training programme and a new information leaflet for customers has been provided as part of the new process. This is available from all Council offices from mid-October or can be viewed online at the Council's website.
"Our new strategy will make a difference, but we can't do it alone. Drivers are required to drive in a safe manner, and at a safe speed taking into account such matters as the nature of the road, the weather conditions, and the traffic conditions.
Councillor Convery concluded: "If we all do our bit, we can keep our communities safe this winter."