A Donegal county councillor wants the local authority to expand its gritting services to include more rural roads.
The county is set to be hit by a huge cold front later this week with forecasts of heavy frost and snow.
Now Letterkenny/Milford Municipal District Councillor Adrian Glackin is calling on the council’s roads department to make extra gritting resources available for areas in rural Donegal which are not on the current winter gritting routes.
Cllr Glackin said council staff are doing a great a job but more could be done.
He fears that many parts will come to a standstill if weather forecasts are accurate about the plunging temperatures.
He said “The county council’s winter gritting plan has been carried out to a very high standard and a lot of praise is due to the staff who have been out gritting roads in all kinds of weather, however there are fears that if the incoming cold snap is as bad as expected, areas of rural Donegal could be brought to a standstill again.”
Cllr Glackin said the roads department should make available grit resources at the end of roads and lanes in rural areas where requested, which locals could then spread as needed in order for road safety to be maintained throughout the inclement weather.
He added “I have been inundated with calls from schools and the public in rural areas about this situation and feel this could be a win-win situation for all concerned.”
“I would also call on people in rural Donegal to continue the time honoured tradition of checking on elderly neighbours during this cold spell and ensuring they are safe and warm. Having these weather warnings in place are good for preparing for inclement weather, but can also bring fear for the most vulnerable in society”.