KILDARE: Let local people salt the roads in winter, say councillors

Kildare County Council is coming under pressure to provide salt to be used by local people to tackle wintry road conditions.

A number of Fianna Fáil councillors has asked KCC to review “salting policies for the county.”

They want KCC to explore the possibility of providing salt at appropriate locations for voluntary groups.

They’ve also called for a needs analysis (so that) that a system be devised that “recognises new strategic developments that will impact selected routes.”

Two Social Democrats councillors Pat Balfe and Peter Melrose have separately asked for a “salt bin purchase and fill scheme for residential areas including housing estates and clusters of housing in urban and rural areas.

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KCC has recently rejected a call to salt footpaths because of limited resources.

It currently operates 10 routes within its winter maintenance programme, treating approximately 680 km of roads in the county. 

KCC added this requires a significant input of resources, including 25 drivers, vehicles, equipment, technical and administrative staff and operates at a considerable cost (€670,000 last year).

Another councilor, Rathangan’s Brian O’Loughlin, called on KCC to prioritise one main road in all small towns and villages in the county for salting during freezing weather “to allow access to emergency services, public transport and national roads.”