The nitty gritty

A TOTAL of 133,253 kilometres are covered by Dumfries and Galloway Council's gritting vehicles during a typical winter spell. This is more than going around the equator three times. The fleet of 18 gritting lorries are based around the region in five regional depots and they can be put into action quickly when ice or snow warnings are received. They are supported by a single compact 4x4 vehicle that treats town centre paths, cycle routes and pavements. Officials have revealed that during a typical winter spell, the gritters use 10,335 tonnes of salt, which is equivalent to 1720 African elephants. The gritting drivers are roads service colleagues who are supported by extra agency staff as needed. A council spokesperson said: "Thank you to the gritting team for going out in cold and hostile winter conditions to keep travellers safe in Dumfries and Galloway."