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Crews praised as snow hits travel
Date published: 31 December 2009
OLDHAM Mountain Rescue Team and snow plough drivers have been praised for their valiant attempts to keep the A62 at Stanedge open to motorists.
Saddleworth councillor Ken Hulme was among drivers who were helped to cross the Pennines in treacherous conditions yesterday.
He took this photograph near Globe Farm at around 4pm, when his progress was hampered by two stranded buses on either side of the A62.
The mountain rescue team formed traffic into convoys which followed snow ploughs as they carved a “barely navigable” single track.
“What brilliant men and women the mountain rescue volunteers are, and full marks to Oldham Council staff operating the snow ploughs, working hard in difficult and dangerous conditions,” said Councillor Hulme.
Three men killed in a crash on the snow–affected M62 near Huddersfield on Tuesday night came from Preston.
They were Bilal Bholat (24), Imran Bodi (27) and Alnoor Rajani (31).
They were in a Mitsubishi car which left the westbound carriageway and overturned after colliding with the nearside barrier.
Snow had been falling in the area but police could not say if the conditions had played a factor in the accident. Any witnesses should contact the West Yorkshire Police on 01924-293047.
Comments
I've read this opened mouthed! I cannot believe the stupidity of Oldhams councillors! First one falls on the ice, and then another - who campaigns for road safety sets out on a transpennine journey in the most atrocious conditions imaginable. If it hadn't been folls like him, then the mountain rescue wouldn't need to be doing this work
I just hope when he next bleats about other motorists people remember this.
well done to the mountain rescue service. they are a credit to oldham and the volunteers should get all the praise they deserve. unlike oldham council and their next to useless gritting department who have let us all down yet again! how come rochdale, tameside, kirklees and calderdale councils have kept their roads perfect and clear and they've had just the same weather as oldham. i am asking for a rebate on my council tax. a suggest everyone else requests this too!
Fedupoldhamer You obviously haven't got a clue what you're talking about! Read local news for Tameside & Rochdale where they are saying nothing has been done. Rdale has been trying to buy grit from Oldham because they've run short. Now I think we all know that the complainers are full of hot air perhaps we could use them to clear the snow!
I can only priase OMBC for their efforts to keep the town moving & admire the Mountain Recues team who are so brave & put their lives at risk to help idiots like our beloved Cllr. Hulme.
sorry flake! no hot air here! see it first hand! rochdale and ashton may have run out of salt! but their roads are clear! especially when i compared to oldhams roads. travelled through ashton on sat when the snow was falling. i saw more gritters out that day than i have in the last two weeks in oldham. go out and actually drive and you'll notice how much oldhams being neglected!
anyway you changed your tune! you're slating them and now you're indirectly backing them! hahaha!
how can people be praising a service that is well below par with neighboring boroughs and previous years.
we all pay council tax and expect this service to be provided. i have yet to see it actually happening.
and i might add the gritter drivers are being paid very generously to do their jobs. so why praise them? its their job to grit the roads in the first place?
Oldham mountain rescue on the other had should get more that praise! these band of volunteers do it for nothing!
Totally agree with fedupoldhamer, I'm a paramedic on nights that would have been lost without mountain rescue they are worth their weight in gold. OMBC should be ashamed, Tameside and Rochdale have accessable roads for us, Oldham have griiters out not spreading anything. Looks good to joe public seeing the yellow flashing lights but everyone seen over the last 3 night has been empty!
Have Your Say
Well done the Mountain Rescue Team. It must have been frightening for the bus passengers. It is to be hoped that Oldham Council were using a plough on this stretch of road - the A62 Standedge, not Stanege.
By Get it right @ 31/12/2009 14:14:31