Minister defends road chaos response

Drivers were warned only to make essential journeys

Scottish Transport Minister Sarah Boyack has defended the official response to the snow and winds which paralysed much of Scotland's transport system.

She rejected calls from the Scottish National Party for a parliamentary inquiry into the weather problems which lead to large parts of the country being cut off.

However, she acknowledged that lessons did need to be learned from the severity of the problems caused.

The M8, Scotland's busiest motorway, was completely blocked for more than 10 hours, while the M74 and A1 routes were also impassable.

Sarah Boyack: "Lessons to be learned"

Rail and air travel was also badly hit, with one cross-border sleeper service forced to turn back for Carlisle.

Speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland, she said: "I think conditions in the last two days have been exceptionally difficult around the country.

"We had the combination not just of very heavy snowfalls, but then severe weather conditions as well with wind which actually created drifting snow.

"On the roads there were just atrocious conditions so we've had teams working round the clock to try to keep the routes open.

"We've also had to clear those where the snow overwhelmed the routes to try to get them reopened.

Abandoned cars

"We have had a major problem. We do need to learn from it. One of the problems we've had has been the combination of falling trees and people's abandoned vehicles or accidents which have then made it even more difficult for the gritters and snow ploughs to get through.

"We really need to learn from this, but I do say that the exceptional nature of the combination of the snow and the wind has made it very difficult out there.

Hundreds of drivers got stuck on the M8 motorway

"It has made it difficult for people across the country."

In response to a suggestion that the same problems occur every year, she said: "I think where we have improved over the years is making sure the information gets out that is accurate.

"One area we do need to improve over the long run is how we can use new technology to communicate with drivers directly.

"It is one of the opportunities with our driver information centre to get the information out to the media, to the police, so that police can make a judgement on how to make sure that we get that accurate advice out to drivers."

Drivers ignored warnings

Scottish National Party transport spokesman Bruce Crawford said: "One thing we should be looking at is for the transport and environment committee of the Scottish Parliament holding an inquiry into the problems caused by the weather because there are a series of issues that need to be looked at.

"First of all, the awareness of drivers and education. Many of us seem to think, when we're told only to travel if it is essential, that we can ignore that.

"Information services need to be a bit more specific to local conditions because in Scotland yesterday when areas in the east were experiencing heavy snow, there were areas of the country where there was no snow falling.

The army had to rescue some travellers

"There has also been a severe reduction in the resources available to local authorities that undertake these tasks in the past 10 years.

He added that there needs to be a lot more integration between what government does and what local authorities do when faced with these kinds of problems.

He said that this would only be exacerbated when the responsibility for the maintenance of trunk roads was taken on by private companies.

Ms Boyack said: "Well there is one thing I did agree with Bruce Crawford of the SNP this morning is that how to get across to people that essential journeys when we are faced with the weather conditions of the last couple of days people really have to think twice because it is not just their own lives it is also potentially the lives of those who have to come out and rescue them.

"I think that passing on information that you've got treacherous conditions, that you've got icy roads, or that roads have been totally blocked by snow is the critical point and I think that the key thing there is to make sure that the snow ploughs and the gritters are able to get out onto the roads, so it is partly people taking that advice from the police."