Transport bosses in Fife believe they are as prepared as they can be for whatever weather winter throws at the region over the coming weeks.
While last year largely saw very little disruption in the Kingdom, few will forget the chaos seen in 2018 when the so-called Beast from the East wrecked havoc for several days.
And it was only a decade ago when Fife Council’s salt supplies almost ran out as many Scottish local authorities struggled to meet demand back in the winter of 2009/10.
With that in mind, Fife Council has bolstered its winter fleet to 57 vehicles ready to treat the region’s roads and 30 mini-tractors to clear and salt footpaths.
The local authority’s salt depots have also taken delivery of 10,600 tonnes of salt, taking the Kingdom’s total stock to nearly 22,000 tonnes with additional deliveries also scheduled during the winter period.
Councillor Altany Craik, convener of Fife’s economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation committee, says the council has been busy planning ahead for winter and is committed to keeping the Kingdom moving whatever the weather.
“It’s been a challenging year for everyone and although there’s been disruption to many services across Fife we’ve had to change the way some services are delivered due to the pandemic,” he explained.
“The council has been planning ahead for winter since the summer months to ensure that everything is in place.
“When weather is extremely bad, we can deploy several hundred extra personnel to work on the road network and we also have arrangements for external resources, plant and equipment.
“By taking these steps, we aim to keep Fife’s roads safe during the winter.
“As always during this period, key staff will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep our road network open.
“Of course, it’s also important for Fifers to make sure they know where to find the information they need ahead of any severe weather.”
To that end, residents are being urged to visit www.fife.gov.uk/winter where they can sign up for personal emails or text alerts to find out about school or facility closures.
There’s also plenty of advice on how to prepare whether at home, in the car or in a community.
Residents should also follow Fife Council on Facebook and Twitter to keep on top of any updates, while local radio stations Kingdom FM (95.2 and 96.1), Forth One (97.3) and Tay FM (96.4 and 102.8) will also have all the latest updates on individual school closures.
