Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart has asked Comhairle nan Eilean Siar if changes are to be put in place to its gritting policy following the recent accident in Lewis that resulted in a bus driver and passengers being taken to hospital.
The accident on the Barvas moor on the evening of November 7 has led to calls for the Comhairle to carry out an urgent review of its current road gritting policy.
David Stewart said: “Winter is barely upon us and concerns are already being raised about the gritting policy adopted by the Comhairle. Drivers need to know they are safe on our roads and I would encourage the Comhairle to examine whether their gritting policy is robust enough. In particular, I would appeal for advice and suggestions from the emergency services to be acted upon and I have contacted the leader of the Comhairle about this.”
if its true that the comarhaile is ignoring requests from emergency services the people responsible could be dealt with by the law . it has happened in other places .
I was under the impression that the Comhairle had a legal obligation to grit both roads and pavements, or has the law been changed? In any event, the have a legal “duty of care” for Islanders, and failure to fulfill that duty of care is liable to leave them open to compensation claims.
Needless to say, any compensation paid out to injured parties as a result of their failures will, of course, have to be funded by the council tax payers, again.
It would be interesting to know just how much it has cost the poor benighted council tax payers for the assorted legal costs run up by the Comhairle over the years due to their arrogance, stubbornness and incompetence.