One of Hertfordshire County Council’s gritters has been christened ‘Snowy Ball’ after the BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball. Built by Econ Engineering, the gritter joins the council’s fleet of circa 70 vehicles. Listeners got in touch with the programme to suggest gritter names which included Spready Mercury and Taylor Drift.
Zoe Ball said: “I’ve made it! I am absolutely speechless. I can’t really believe it. Honestly, mum, dad… I’ve made it! I’ve got a gritter named after me.”
The presenter was surprised live on air by traffic and travel reporter Richie Anderson from the council’s Stevenage gritting depot. Anderson spent some time there learning how the roads are treated to keep them safe during cold spells.
Econ Engineering supplies around 85 percent of the country’s winter maintenance vehicles. Managing director of Yorkshire-based Econ Engineering, Jonathan Lupton, said: “We are proud of all the gritters which leave the assembly plant in Ripon bearing the Econ name, and we will be keeping a particularly close eye on ‘Snowy Ball’, now that it is out on the roads doing its bit to keep the nation moving.
“We think ‘Snowy Ball’ is a wonderful name for a gritter and we thank Zoe and the BBC Radio 2 breakfast team for shining a light on the wonderful work of gritter crews who do such wonderful work up and down the country at this time of year.”
Phil Bibby, executive member for Highways and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to have Richie at the depot today, showing him how our gritting teams treat the county’s road network.
“We know the roads matter to our residents and they matter to us too, which is why we’re with you this winter, with our gritting teams on standby 24/7 from 1 October until 30 April, treating over 1,550 miles of Hertfordshire’s roads.”
