Understand
Argyll and Bute Council faces driver shortage for winter gritting and maintenance
Overview
Argyll and Bute Council is facing a shortage of 13 drivers out of the 72 required for its winter maintenance programme, which runs from this month until April. The local authority may need to prioritise resources, potentially suspending services like refuse collection during severe weather, and is relying on contract driver assistance and training to manage the deficit.
Key points
- Argyll and Bute Council is currently 13 drivers short of the 72 needed for its winter maintenance programme.
- The winter programme is scheduled to run from later this month through to April.
- Executive director Kirsty Flanagan stated that contract driver assistance will be required to supplement rotas.
- Services such as refuse collection could be temporarily suspended during extreme weather to prioritise clearing ice and snow.
- A risk-based approach will be used to allocate resources during simultaneous incidents like road traffic collisions or fallen trees.
- The council is progressing additional training and actively managing workforce challenges due to the age profile of staff and local recruitment difficulties.