A quad squad, as they have been dubbed, is all set and ready for combat with Mother Nature if and when we get the same snowy weather as we did in the UK last year. Southend council is well and truly prepared for battle with three quad bikes that have large snow ploughs added to them and containers carrying enough grit to cover 15 miles.
This operation is the first of its kind in the Essex area with a cost to the council of around £55,000. However, the council believes it has killed two birds with the same stone as the bikes are able to not only plough snow but also lay down to grit to avoid icy patches. The bikes will be able to travel on roads and pavements so there will be no need to send out men to clear paths. Last year, the UK had heavy snow and the quad bikes were used on a trial basis. They turned out to be a great success and were added to the arsenal of equipment this year.
The quads will be cost effective as they can also be used in other areas during summer, when it comes time to fight weeds. The council have five riders which have been trained to use the quad bikes safely and other councils in other areas of the UK are looking into similar ideas. The quad bikes will provide a quicker way of dealing with adverse conditions brought on by snow and ice and will save the back breaking work of manually shovelling snow and then spreading grit.