Scottish transport minister resigns over travel chaos

[borderslass]

here

I agree that the authorities' response has been a disgrace, even given the fact that, where we are at least, we had the biggest snowfall anyone had ever seen. I live on a main road and our pavements haven't been gritted at all.

Not sure that fines for private individuals are the way forward though. I couldn't clear the pavement outside our garden. I was stuck indoors with DDs, the youngest of whom is 5 months. Couldn't go out due to risk of roof avalanches/huge icicles falling on us, and in any event buggy useless in a metrre of snow. DH did his best but with his 45 minute commute increased to over 3 hours each way by scotrail's apparent inability to cope when the temperature falls below zero, he had to take a day of annual leave just to clear our drive enough to get the cars out. It took him over 7 hours. Exactly when were we supposed to clear the 3 feet of snow from the 30 m or so of pavement outside our garden? Or when was I supposed to do it given DH was leaving at 6 am and not getting back until 9pm?

His arrogance on Newsnight was astonishing and yes, I felt he ought to resign as the road networks have been disgraceful.

I am also really angry that city priority tended to be around council buildings, councillor's houses, golf course entrances where councillor's go for lunch, that sort of thing.
Some of the elderly were terrified to go out in case they fell and trying to take a pushchair or wheelchair out was impossible.

Our pavements are still a nightmare- but the main roads have been kept open and I suppose that's the priority. I think it was the fact that the forth road bridge was closed and the shambles on the motorways that meant week whe had to go. Wonder how his replacement will get on next week when the snow comes back?

I agree with Stewie over people and businesses should be legally required to clear the paths in front of their properties.

I am not sure what has to be gained over him resigning. OK, he was crap but the snow last Monday wasn't forecast so it caught everyone by surprise.

We are on an unclassed road so zilch priority and the thaw dug us out.
I was shocked at the state of Perth- single lane main roads, pavements were piled about four foot high with snow from the roads plus some of the main streets were closed off while the fire brigade removed monster icicles.

I think the Scottish government are being tighter than two coats of paint.

My first thought was that, with more freezing weather and snow predicted, he knows there will be more chaos, and that his being forced to resign was only a matter of time.

I slipped on the ice on Thursday - i wasn't a happy bunny.
Some old people round here have been housebound for 2 weeks. Utter disgrace and there has been plenty of able body people who have been happy to have the paths in front of their houses/flats as potential death traps.

Moreover, Edinburgh Council could have some grit boxes about to enable neighbours to help each other out. I have seen none in Leith.

The ones that irritate me most are the many people who have taken the trouble to dig a wide path to their own front door, and completely clear their driveways, piling the snow on the pavement, and making no attempt to clear the snow there.

Are you suggesting that property owner owed to clear their path once they finally emerge from their 6-hour long commute?

Yes.

What I've been wondering is why all anger is directed at the authorities; the way I understand it, the gritting and clearing of trunk roads and motorways has been contracted out to private companies... surely they should have their own systems in place to check the weather forecasts; I would think part of the blame lies with them as well

Can anyone enlighten me on what exactly Bear, transerve etc's responsibilities are?

I think legislating against individuals would be a huge waste of resources and impossible to manage. I'd rather the public money was spent gritting the roads and pavements.

I was stuck in the house for a week due to ice and freezing conditions with a newborn and a 2.5 DD. DH had to walk to work (hospital doctor, so really had to go in) took over an hour each way. Would you have fined us for not clearing the pavement outside our house? as it is, a good samaritan neighbour cleared it for us. ( thank you unidentified neighbour, I hope Santa is good to you.)

For what it's worth, I can't see what the transport minister could have done, it snowed very heavily at rush hour, the traffic was already on the road and it wasn't expected to be so heavy.

I was stuck on the m8. I left livvy at 10am, got stuck, didn't get back to uddingston until 1.30am.

In that time, I saw 2 police cars - one at Harthill, one at the showcase, where there had been a lorry gone off the road. No army, no gritters, no road authority. Nothing.

No one seemed to know what was going on, there was no info - why they couldn't have done proper radio announcements "all those on the m8, the road is blocked, we suggest you park car, keep warm, and there will be another announcement in an hour" type thing.

There was s guy in front of me with a 7 month old baby, that was desperately trying to get food for her.

I also believe that since our bins haven't been emptied for 3 weeks now, the bin men should be out clearing paths etc.

The transport minister could have ensured that 1000s did not remain stuck for 17 hours or so.

And could possibly have also done something about Scotrail's inability to cope with freezing weather. They were so wildly unreliable, giving such poor information, that my DH and many others like him, resorted to commuting by car in the worst of the weather. More cars on the roads did not help matters.

Here in Hampshire we had about 8 inches. It was bad for our area. We now have grit bins dotted along roads, side roads, housing estates.

I take it you all have that stuff already? If not, I think it is madness that we have it and you don't!

If I remember correctly, many salt/ grit bins were removed earlier this year as a cost saving measure.

Our nearest grit bin is about nine miles away.

The problem is that grit doesn't do anything if there is 14 inches of snow.

There was some numpty out last week scattering it on our local pavements... Did nothing but make the place look a mess.

To be honest though, none of us have it as bad as GentleOtter, hats off to you lady - you are amazing.

It is just because we are feral rural, geordieminx, that it gets a bit bad here. I asked the (now gone) minister to send a gritter or grit but he never got back to me...

I felt so sorry for the folk in town when we saw elderly people slowly tottering along the main roads and cars whizzing past. Some of them looked petrified.

Agree that the salt is useless below a certain temperature but it is a worry that under the snow lies thick ice and it is setting again tonight.

GentleOtter - do you live in Crieff? My parents live there and it has been a joke apparently.

Up the back of Crieff, the Aberfeldy way.

Crieff was hellish and it is mainly elderly people who live there. Crieff is so steep as well so many people must have fallen.

Where I live (Leith) a lot of people have cleared the paths for older people but somewhere like Crieff well, er, they are all old there now, aren't they?