I WAS sorry to read in the Wirral Globe about the problems experienced by Mr Cawthron and his wife during the recent icy conditions on the roads.

He asked why side roads were untreated and said taxi drivers had refused to take fares along the untreated roads.

The council operates a fleet of 10 lorries which spread salt on 230 miles of highway - just under half of all Wirral's roads. They operate along 10 primary routes, mostly main roads, bus routes and roads leading to hospitals and schools. They also treat some secondary roads and problem areas.

In answer to Mr Cawthron's remarks, there are several very important points to be made:

It takes three hours to make one circuit of the routes we do treat. If we attempted to cover all roads, none would be treated effectively enough to make it worth doing at all.

The cost of covering all roads effectively, in terms of vehicles we would need and the tonnages of salt required, is ruinous and prohibitive.

The environmental concerns of spreading too much salt on roads are also very important.

But my most important message for all Wirral Globe readers is that drivers should not rely on the gritters at all; a gritted road offers no guarantees of a safe journey. At best, it reduces the risk.

Ask any Wirral Traffic Police Officer and they will tell you the same. If, when you wake in the morning there is frost on the ground, you should drive accordingly and not rely on other people to keep you safe. When roads are icy, no matter how much salt we spread around, the only truly safe course of action is to stay at home.

Wirral Council takes every possible step to ensure safety on our roads, but it is up to individuals to respond to the weather conditions as they change.

The gritting service operated by Wirral is one of the best in the region. We treat a greater proportion of our roads, at far less cost, than many other local authorities and I am proud of the standard of the service we offer.

Councillor Harry Smith,

Cabinet Member for Transportation and Infrastructure.