Minister's snow plan
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MOTORWAYS will continue to receive top priority for salting ant snow ploughing this winter, Junior Transport Minister KennetlClarke pledged last week.
He has accepted the recommendations of Government troubleshooter Sir Derek Rayner that there must be a clear standard laid down for snow clearance, and for a code of practice to be adopted.
Mr Clarke told Meriden Conservative MP lain Mills that the Department of Transport expects councils to undertake special levels of winter maintenance on motorways and trunk roads. He said: "The aim is to pro. vide, at reasonable cost, a ser vice which will permit the safe movement of traffic, anc minimise delays caused by bac weather. Top priority continue: to be motorways where saltinc, and snow-ploughing during the main winter months will be car ried out within two hours of the onset of wintry conditions."
He believes the Government': arrangements will be sufficient!) flexible to deal quickly with fros and snow warnings on othe roads.
Mr Clarke said he believed thi DTp's standards for motorway; and its trunk roads represents reasonable balance betweer safety and cost to the taxpayer.
A Road Haulage Associatioi spokesman, commenting on ail announcement, told CM that, i the roads are not kept open, in dustry will suffer, and added tha he hoped that the Governmen could turn its good intention into solid fact.
A Freight Transport ASSOCiE tion spokesman commente; that operators need to be conf dent that they can complet journeys before they set out, an hoped that the proposals woul meet that need.