Powys County Council has stepped up its bid to combat the effect of snow by adapting a convoy of its Ford Rangers to meet the challenge of keeping us on the move year-round.
The 10 4x4s can be adapted with a spring-loaded plough on the front to clear snow from the roads, and can also feature a towable gritter that spreads salt behind it. They are now on standby and ready to tackle any possible problems.
And for the harder to reach areas of the county, there will also be smaller gritters available that can be transported by the Rangers to clear paths for important services such as the fire brigade and ambulance stations.
The council explained that once the temperature rises, the trucks can be adjusted back to their original configuration and used by the council’s Grounds team, ensuring year-round use.
Darren Martin, Fleet Manager for Powys County Council, said: “The major benefit of these new vehicles is that we are able to provide a service to people who we haven’t been able to help before.
“We are hoping now that we can keep access to schools, old people’s homes and emergency services buildings clear of snow, even in the must rural of places.
The snow-clearing equipment was fitted in-house by Powys County Council’s vehicle maintenance staff on existing vehicles, and are in addition to the traditional large gritter lorries which focus on keeping the main roads open in adverse weather.
PICTURE: Councillor Geraint Hopkins hands the keys to the Rangers over to Fleet Manager Darren Martin.
