Lancashire’s highways teams are asking locals to come up with names for their new gritters.
AdvertisementNine of the instantly recognisable big yellow machines will be spreading salt on the roads for the first time this winter, and they need a little help to fit in with their fellow gritters which already have unique names printed on each door.
Some of those which already make up the county’s 45-strong frontline fleet include:
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County Councillor Charlie Edwards, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We were one of the first councils to begin the tradition of giving names to our gritters.
“Some of our existing fleet had to retire this year, and with nine new gritters entering service this winter we’d like people to come up with some good names for them.
“Our highways teams do an incredible job of keeping Lancashire’s main routes open whatever the weather, often working during the night over what can be a very long winter in this part of the world.
“Seeing a gritter go by on a freezing night is a reassuring sight for everyone, and spotting the name on the door of the cab helps to raise a smile, particularly for our drivers as they begin another chilly night shift.”
Of the 4,300 miles of roads in Lancashire which the county council is responsible for around a third, or 1,500 miles, make up the priority gritting network which can be treated within four hours whenever a freeze is forecast for the whole county.
You can nominate a name for one of Lancashire’s nine new gritters by emailing nameagritter@lancashire.gov.uk
Each of the gritters should have a unique name, so to see the list of gritter names already being used visit: lancashire.gov.uk/winter
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If you have any ideas for names, tell us in the comments below, but don’t forget to submit them properly too!