Scots gridlocked in snow havoc 07 | 12 | 2010

MOTORISTS IN Central Scotland have been battling some of the worst road conditions seen since the Sixties with thousands trapped in gridlocked motorways between Glasgow and Edinburgh and north to Stirling.

A heavy snowstorm starting in early morning just before the rush hour on top of freezing roads caused chaos in the cities and virtually every major road in the Central Belt. The snow continued throughout the day and while gritting crews battled to keep the major routes passable, many drivers came to grief on secondary roads.

One major problem was abandoned or stranded vehicles which prevented snow ploughs and gritters doing their job. Buses, lorries and hundreds of cars struggled to get grip in the sub-zero temperatures.

Horror stories emerged of drivers who had been stuck for up to 10 hours on what should have been a brief journey to work. One caller to BBC Radio Scotland spoke of travelling only 200 yards on the M80 motorway south of Stirling in more than five hours. There were reports of drivers having snowball fights and building snowmen in the outside lane.

Many drivers were caught out with only a few having fitted winter tyre covers or snow tyres and an added problem was an increasing shortage of fuel as tankers were unable to carry out their normal deliveries to filling stations. The snow has stopped in most areas but freezing temperatures are expected to add to the disruption for the rest of the week.

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Alan Douglas