Fife's first female gritter driver prepares for winter

FIFE'S gritter drivers have certainly been busy over the last couple of weeks.  During the severely cold conditions, the task of keeping Fife's roads safe in such sustained low temperatures has been a challenge and key staff have been working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep the road network open.

Additional personnel from other parts of the council are often deployed to work on the road network when required and when weather is extremely bad, arrangements for external resources, plant and equipment are made.

Jennifer McWhirter is a Technician working in the Passenger Transport Team at Fife Council, and for the first time this winter, she is also stepping in to take some shifts, working as part of the team keeping Fife's roads gritted and safe for travel.

Jennifer's weekday gritting shifts can start any time between 7pm and 5am, which means when she is on standby, she can be up at 4.30 am, work her shift and then finish just before she walks into the office to start her day job at 8am.

It's a busy schedule for Jennifer who says, "Although it can be tough hearing the alarm go off at 4.30am, it's surprising how quickly it gets to 8am when I'm due in the office.

"I've not had many experiences of extremely hazardous conditions but I do often think that I really have to have my wits about me driving this 24 tonne lorry on a stretch of road before any other vehicles have used it.  Similarly, when conditions can change quickly, I need to be alert.  So I'm usually in bed by 9 when I know I'm on a 5 am start.  If I'm out in the evening, it depends when I finish whether I need to be in the office next day."

The council’s winter fleet includes 27 vehicles like the one Jennifer drives as well as a further 51 vehicles which can be used during severe conditions, including 30 small footpath tractors capable of clearing and salting footpaths.

This year the council has taken a delivery of 5,000 tonnes of salt, bringing the current stock level to 23,000 tonnes and a further 3,000 tonnes will be added during the winter period.

PICTURE CAPTION:  Jennifer is familiar with most of Fife's gritting routes and can be working on standby before she starts her office shift.

ENDS