Ayrshire Roads Alliance: Review of area's gritter routes

Ayrshire Roads Alliance presented its winter service review for 2022/23 at a meeting of the Ayrshire Shared Services Committee.

The review looked at a number of different aspects, from the need to optimise gritting routes to the implications of grit bins being used for dog muck.

The review, presented by head of Ayrshire Roads Alliance, Kevin Braidwood, said: “Gritting routes were originally established in 1996 and have only been fully reviewed once since that time.”

He pointed out the gap between the length of existing priority one gritting routes that are treated and the length travelled without treatment.

This gap is higher in East Ayrshire than in South Ayrshire.

The review stated: “Last winter the Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) proposed to undertake a gritting route optimisation exercise to optimise our current gritting routes and ensure that they are efficient and effective.

This exercise is currently underway for all priority 1 gritting routes with an anticipated completion ahead of the start of the winter programme in mid-October.

Mr Braidwood’s report added: “From this investment, ARA can optimise all other gritting routes this year and in future years. The cost for this route optimisation package is £26,475.20.”

Residents will see improvements to the information made available by ARA online.

This includes ‘detailed winter information and improvements to Gritter Tracking, highlighting all streets on priority one gritting routes, ensuring that our services meet the needs of the community we serve’.

“ARA has teamed up with TrueView Visuals to advance the digital capabilities of its Gritter Tracking system. 

“This cutting-edge system monitors the position of gritters and grit bins in real time during the winter period for East and South Ayrshire councils.

“Users can easily access the system on various devices from the Ayrshire Roads Alliance website and obtain detailed information on out of hours winter service vehicle operations.”

Feedback on grit bins was also included in the review, with one issue being raised around the misuse of grit bins for dog muck.

The report stated: “Grit Bins remain on site throughout the entire year.

ARA has recognised that the grit bins can be subject to acts of vandalism and theft and reviewed this as part of the proposed implementation of improvements to determine that leaving on site remains fit for purpose.

“The outcome was a minimal number of bins may have been misused
for dog litter bins, however not to the extent that we would consider removing all bins across network over the summer months.

“We will monitor and review this again for the coming winter.”

Members of the public can find and request their nearest grit bin is refilled by entering a postcode.

ARA have also said that they avoid gritting, where possible, between 10pm and 4am, as treatment requires traffic to ‘aid dispersal and break up snow and ice’.

Mr Braidwood added: “However, in extreme conditions and where the forecast merited action, treatments were actioned during these times.”

“We continue to work closely with our winter controllers throughout the winter decision making process to continually improve on these costs.”