Council criticised for delay in gritting roads

LINDA McGRORY

DONEGAL: DONEGAL COUNTY Council came in for criticism yesterday after motorists were caught up in accidents caused by ungritted icy roads.

The local authority admitted it failed to grit roads in areas such as the Inishowen peninsula until later yesterday morning because coastal areas were considered to be at a lower risk to subzero temperatures.

The worst of the accidents happened in the Burt area at about 7.30am when a fire engine slid into the side of a fuel tanker after avoiding a milk lorry that was jack-knifing on the road.

Buncrana Garda inspector David Kelly said diversions were put in place to allow for the slow and safe disentanglement of the vehicles. It is understood no fuel was discharged from the tanker and nobody was injured.

Donegal County Council senior roads engineer James Boyle said the local authority understood that coastal areas were considered “low-risk” for frost and ice yesterday morning. By contrast, he said subzero temperatures were expected in inland areas, including Ballybofey and Lifford, where gritting trucks were dispatched at 6am.

“Whenever we found that there was a problem with icy roads in north Donegal, including Burt, Bridgend and Fahan, extra lorries were dispatched at 7.30am.”

Mr Boyle conceded 7.30am was too late for some areas that had already seen a number of accidents by then.

Buncrana Fine Gael councillor Michelle Bradley warned of cuts to Donegal County Council’s road-gritting budget.

“Where were the most basic road-safety measures this morning? The lack of gritting on our roads is something that people in Donegal should prepare themselves for over the next few months.”