Ripon-based Econ has signed a seven-year £5.7m contract with North Yorkshire Council to upgrade half of the council’s fleet of gritters.
The contract will see 31 new gritters treat the county’s 5,800 miles of roads, which, laid end to end, would run from Northallerton to Tokyo.
The gritters have been delivered in batches starting from October, and the final ones will be on the road by January.
Econ MD Jonathan Lupton said: “We are delighted to build on our longstanding partnership with NY Highways with the delivery of these 31 new gritters, which will play a vital role in keeping motorists safe on North Yorkshire’s roads this winter.”
The winter maintenance service needs about 70 gritters across the county each year, with the new gritters replacing the oldest vehicles in the fleet.
Councillor Keane Duncan said: “Our investment in the new gritting fleet further demonstrates our commitment to delivering the most efficient winter service across our vast county.
“The partnership with Econ not only means we have the most up-to-date and reliable vehicles, but we’re delivering a significant cost saving for taxpayers too. We are also pleased to be able to support a local firm as they are a big employer in the county.
“We look forward to the gritters taking to the roads as we strive to keep the county moving this winter.”
Gritters, their drivers, duty managers and officers are on call 24 hours a day between October and April – and longer if weather conditions require. Last year, more than 5,000 routes were treated.
Cameras and trackers are fitted in the gritters, which provide up-to-date information and allows them to be tracked online.
