On the roads

REFUSE trucks in Dumfries and Galloway covered 618,827 miles last year picking up the region's waste. The council has revealed the total annual mileage covered by waste services vehicles in 2024. And driver Paul Ross, pictured, personally clocked up 10,138 of those miles while working his round in the Stewartry and spending 1462 hours at the wheel.

Meanwhile, the council's full fleet of vehicles, including buses and waste services, covered an overall 6.4 million miles during the year. The local authority has 948 vehicles of all shapes, sizes and power trains within the fleet with 3535 authorised drivers, including HGV and bus drivers. The council performs 7876 licence checks yearly, as some of the authorised drivers need to be checked four times a year. Among the biggest users of fleet vehicles are buses, waste services and social work services. A council spokesperson said: "Thank you to all the technicians and support staff who keep these vehicles on the road throughout the year and keep Dumfries and Galloway services moving."