Pedestrian Areas and Roads: Snow and Ice

(asked on 16th December 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of gritting of (1) roads, and (2) pavements, during icy weather.


Answered by
Baroness Vere of Norbiton Portrait
Baroness Vere of Norbiton
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
This question was answered on 21st December 2022

Section 41(1A) of the Highways Act 1980 places a duty on local authorities to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway (which covers both the carriageway and footway) is not endangered by snow or ice. It is the local authority’s responsibility to assess the need to grit and ensure that there are adequate drivers available to carry out gritting operations.

The Government recognises that it is not possible nor proportionate to grit every road or pavement in the country. Instead, local highway authorities prioritise parts of the network that contain essential services such as bus routes, hospitals, and shopping centres. Councils provide winter information including details of their gritting routes on their websites.

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