Another day, another shortage

We’ve gone from reports of possible shortages of Quality Street, fuel and turkeys to now gritter lorry drivers. Councils are warning that gritter lorries could be hit by the driver shortage, which could potentially leave many of our roads covered in dangerous snow and ice.

Councils usually use contracted drivers to drive their gritter lorries and bin collection lorries, however the ongoing HGV driver shortage and competitive wages from the private sector means there isn’t enough interest to meet the demand.

Councillor and transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, David Renard, said that: “While most councils have been able to keep services running, some may find that their gritting services are affected in the same way that some have seen waste collection services impacted”.

He went on to add: “as they do every year, councils will be working proactively to plan ahead and ensure that their winter services are as resilient as they can be.”