Drivers' arctic outrage
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• Truck drivers stranded in last weekend's arctic conditions are outraged at the failure of the emergency services to get help to their trapped vehicles.
Walsall-based driver Maurice Hill, who was bringing a tanker load of phosphoric acid from France for S Jones, was stuck on the M6 for 30 hours. He says he heard in France on the Wednesday that conditions were going to be bad, but was appalled at the state of the traffic as he came on to the M6: "I kept trundling along in the nearside lane, trying to keep the tanker moving and away from everything else. Some idiot in a Vauxhall Cavalier pulled up in front of me, got out and started shouting about how slippery it was."
The traffic ground to a halt at 08:30hrs, leaving Hill by Junction 2. He did not get his tanker out till 15:30hrs the next day. "We never saw a policeman, we never saw a rescue vehicle — we saw absolutely nothing." A police vehicle arrived at 13:30hrs on the Sunday with some lukewarm soup in a can", says Hill.
Fortunately Hill, who has been driving for 30 years, had stocked up on food in his cab and was able to help some of the other drivers out.
He could see another S Jones vehicle up ahead and managed to reach the driver, Max Faulkner, with some food.
Hill reports that some of the drivers found a woman sobbing in her car with two children on the Saturday evening. She had been without help since the morning. The drivers got blankets to her and managed to walk her up the slip road and took her to hospital.
Hill spent the night in his heated cab and, with some other drivers, managed to reach a phone at 07:00hrs on Sunday morning. Faulkner's wife refused to believe that he was still on the motorway after she had been assured by the police the night before that all drivers had been taken off to a hotel.
Welsh driver Gwyn James was stuck on the A465 between Tredegar and Merthyr, and his transport manager Alan Rees is furious that the road was not prepared for the blizzard conditions: "There was no overnight gritting, no preparation and no assistance. Conditions were bad and that road should have been attended to." James, who was driving a 28tonne artic, managed to turn the vehicle round and got back to Merthyr.
Ponsonby Haulage's transport manager Des Ponsonby is astounded at the lack of preparation by the authorities.
His younger brother Mark was stuck on the M6, south of the Corley service station, for 30 hours before the police brought him some food.
He is even more surprised that the authorities, who were aware that the snow was on its way, did not ensure that there were enough snow ploughs to keep at least one lane free.
Quantock Transport's assistant transport manager Andy Lancaster agrees: "The M6 is one of the busiest motorways in Europe and for it to be blocked off is ridiculous. I know conditions were extreme but more measures should have been taken."
Out of 21 Quantock drivers nine were held up in the snow, which will mean a substantial amount of overtime payments.
But this is not the only expense hauliers face. Cannon Transport & Distribution, which usually makes two coal deliveries a day from Coventry to Didcot power station, could only make one on Monday. It estimates that this could cost it tip,to1,0OO.
LI The Met Office says that weather conditions will return to normal at least until Sunday. The extreme north of Scotland will be subject to snow showers, and the south and the Midlands may have fog at the weekend.
Transport Secretary Malcolm Rifkind has ordered a review of snow clearance procedures for main roads.