Residents of Wiltshire can expect appearances from Gritty Rascal, Usain Salt, Spready Mercury, and the rest of the gritting crew.
Over the coming weeks, as minus temperatures set in, they will be out and about for grit and salt runs. Test runs have also been taking place to ensure all equipment is working as it should and to familiarise the crews with the routes.
Last winter, the crews were deployed 46 times and distributed 5,000 tonnes of salt, with 34,500 miles of Wiltshire’s roads treated. Equipment is normally deployed when the road temperatures require them, with salting taking place whenever road temperatures are near freezing.
Salt is usually spread on roads after the evening peak of traffic or before the morning rush, as late evening and early morning are the most likely times that frost and ice affect road surfaces.
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene said: “We have a fleet of 24 gritters on standby, strategically placed in depots around Wiltshire – ready to take action.
“When the weather drops below zero, we focus on A and B roads as these are primary routes. However, we want to remind residents to not assume that a road has been gritted, and to always drive to the conditions as some roads are only treated during prolonged periods of cold weather.”
Wiltshire Council’s 24 named gritters (Image: Wiltshire Council) READ MORE: Siam Smile Thai Kitchen in Amesbury given low hygiene rating
The council has 12,000 tonnes of salt in stock, placed throughout the county in six storage sites.
All of the gritters have creative names and six of the names were given to the gritters by local schools, and the remaining 18 were taken from a shortlist of public suggestions.
The six given by schools were Nitty Gritty, by Greentrees Primary School, Frosty the Gritter, by Sambourne School, Snowhenge, by Wellington Eagles Primary School, True Grit, by Holy Trinity Primary, Brad Grit, by Hindon Primary School, and Woodford’s Winter Warrior, by Woodford Valley Primary.
The remaining 18 were taken from a shortlist, whittled down from more than 300 names, and then put to the public vote.
There were more than 1,500 votes on the final 18 names, and the winners are:
- Grit Me Baby One More Time
- Gritty Gritty Bang Bang
- Sir David Attenbrrrr
- Gritty Rascal
- Buzz Saltyear
- Licensed to Grit
- Moonraker
- Snowood House
- Wiltshire Born and Spread
- Saul T Roads
- Ready Spready Go
- Thaw Enforcement
- Grit Happens
- Grittersaurus
- Anneka Ice
- Arnold Schwarzegritter
- Usain Salt
- Spready Mercury