Girl power driving on

Reporter: Janice Barker
Date online: 24 December 2009

Girl power is helping to make sure Oldham’s roads are kept open during the cold snap.

By day Karen Rothwell works behind a desk as a finance and administration assistant in the highways maintenance department.

But by night she is Oldham Council’s first female gritter driver. Karen gets behind the wheel of one of the council’s fleet of 10 gritters helping to keep the roads around Failsworth clear of snow.

The mother-of-two, who has worked for the council for 15 years, decided she would give gritter driving a go after her bosses asked for volunteers.

The council paid for her to take her HGV licence and she then undertook a City and Guilds course in winter services — a requirement for all gritter drivers.

She first took to the roads in October and has not looked back since.

Karen, from Lees, said: “I absolutely love it and can’t wait to get out on the roads in the gritter.

“The man who trained me said he had never taught a woman before and I think the only other female gritter may be in Cumbria.”

Tony Ryder, operations manager at the Lees Road depot, said he and colleagues could not remember another female gritter driver in the last 30 years.

He added: “Due to the snowy conditions we’ve been having it is fair to say Karen has had a baptism of fire but she has coped really well, as have all of our drivers.”

Councillor Mark Alcock said: “I congratulate Karen on being the borough’s first female gritter driver.”

“She and the rest of the council’s drivers are doing a good job.”