Hounslow’s true gritters ready to ride

Posted on: July 11, 2019 at 12:34 pm

With temperatures set to drop in London this week, Hounslow Highways’ gritting crews are ready to keep Hounslow moving.

Crews manning seven gritting lorries and six snow ploughs are ready to spread salt on the borough’s six gritting routes, totalling 132km, in case of icy conditions.

Councillor Colin Ellar, deputy leader of Hounslow Council and cabinet member for environment, said: “It looks like London could get a cold snap this week but I am glad to see Hounslow Highways is ready to keep the borough moving.”

With 2,500 tonnes of salt in its stock pile – Hounslow Highways said it is confident it can deal with any drop in temperatures.

Crews also carried out five gritting practice runs in September and also in October, to ensure grits are completed within two hours.

Hounslow Highways service director, Rob Gillespie, said: “We are keeping a close watch on any changes in forecasts to ensure we are ready to deal with any cold weather.

“Our gritting lorries are equipped with GIS trackers and connected to our operational hub which means we can respond rapidly to any adverse conditions.”

Hounslow Highways said it would also deploy its cleaning crews with shovels and salt to provide hand gritting at high risk locations if needed.