Anger as Council refuse to grit major Sunderland bus route causing ‘carnage’

Councillors for the Fulwell and Seaburn part of the city are calling on Sunderland Council to send gritters down Alston Crescent – a major bus route for Stagecoach’s 23 bus service, and a busy road leading to and from Seaburn Metro station.

Residents have said they now face a winter of sliding cars and buses posing a danger to pedestrians, motorists and bus passengers. Earlier in the year local councillors teamed up with residents to petition Sunderland City Council to add the road onto the priority gritting routes during icy weather – but last week the Council confirmed that it had ignored the petition and wouldn’t be gritting the street.

Commenting, Lib Dem councillor for Fulwell and Seaburn Malcolm Bond said: “Snow and ice caused carnage along Alston Crescent last winter and no surprise it all started again this weekend with the first drop of snow and spate of cold weather. It just beggars belief that stringy Sunderland Council bosses won’t do the decent thing and grit this major bus route through Fulwell.

“We can’t go another full winter without occasional gritting along this main access road to Seaburn Metro. Local people are reasonable and understand that the Council can’t afford to grit every street in the city – but to leave out bus routes down main roads is completely baffling and dangerous.
“I’m calling on Council bosses to urgently U-turn on their decision to refuse to send gritters down Alston Crescent this winter. Instead they should be doing everything they can to keep local people, bus and Metro passengers safe.”