Chaos on the roads as snow hits
Lorraine Tinney • Published 7 Dec 2010 10:50
POLICE and firefighters were among those left stranded in deep snow yesterday as a fierce blizzard swept across Inverclyde.
Up to five inches of the white stuff began falling during morning rush hour, causing chaos on local roads.
The Met Office has issued warnings in recent days urging motorists to be prepared for more wintry weather.
But scores of drivers were still caught off guard as the rain which had been battering the area suddenly turned to snow shortly after 8am.
Cars were abandoned and roads were closed as Inverclyde was gripped by the arctic conditions. Commuters faced delays as cars became stranded in the thick snow in Shore Street and Baker's Brae, Greenock.
In Port Glasgow, Clune Brae was closed at around 11.15am due to treacherous conditions, and Bouverie Street in the town was also blocked after a bus and a car got stuck.
Traffic came to a standstill in Kilmacolm Road near the Dubbs Road roundabout as a combination of heavy snow and ice took its toll.
Drivers became stuck in a jam in Broomberry Drive in Gourock, while frustrated motorists in Greenock's Dellingburn Street took matters into their own hands by shoving cars which had become trapped in the snow in a bid to get traffic mobile again.
Emergency services were also caught up in the havoc, with a fire engine becoming stuck in tailbacks in Strone Crescent, Greenock, on its way back from a 999 call, while three police cars were also stranded in upper Port Glasgow for a time.
Eyewitnesses even reported spotting a funeral procession stuck in the snow in Greenock's Kilmacolm Road.
One resident in Leven Road told the Tele a hearse which appeared to be on its way to Knocknairshill Cemetery got stuck behind a bus which had blocked the road while trying to do a three-point turn.
Hardy locals threw their shovels over their shoulders and set out into the blizzard to dig out stranded motorists, while one quick-thinking woman piled her shopping bags on to a SLEDGE and dragged them home.
Across Inverclyde there were several accidents as cars skidded on ice hidden beneath the snow.
Sergeant Iain Adams, of Greenock police, said: "There have been a lot of minor bumps but fortunately there have been no major incidents.
"The volume of traffic has increased on roads due to the snow. There were tailbacks on Kilmacolm Road. There was such a heavy snowfall in such a short time and a lot of people trying to get to work and school.
"In these treacherous conditions we would urge motorists to stay at home if their journey is not essential."
Inverclyde Council staff were also out working to grit the roads. A spokesman said: "A full grit was carried out early in the morning and resources worked all day clearing priority routes affected by the snow. Teams have also been deployed to clear and grit footways."
Transport companies also faced disruption as a stricken bus from Glen's Coaches ended up stranded across Heggies Avenue in Port Glasgow for more than two hours.
McGill's initially suspended most of its Inverclyde services, but reinstated some as the weather calmed and the roads cleared.
Schools were also affected, with Kilmacolm Primary sending pupils home just after 9am. James Watt College closed both its Greenock campuses for two days, which meant Enterprise Childcare's nursery at Greenock Sports Centre was also shut.
Council education chiefs said they would not be issuing a blanket closure on all schools, and instead offered advice to head teachers on how to deal with the situation.
One woman, whose daughter attends Notre Dame High in Greenock, hit out at the authority for not sending pupils home because of the weather.
She said: "It's absolutely disgraceful. How are pupils going to get home? There are no buses."
On the rail network, train bosses reduced services between Glasgow Central and Gourock from three trains each way an hour to two each way an hour. A ScotRail spokesman said: "We are running as many services as possible despite the extreme weather.
"However, we are urging people to keep checking our website before setting off. The Journeycheck facility has information on every route."
Some postal services in Inverclyde also suffered delays because of the weather. A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "We are continuing to deliver to the vast majority of addresses but, in some cases, it is not possible to do so because of the weather.
"A range of measures have been put in place to ensure deliveries reach people as quickly as possible."
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 07 Dec 10
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