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Transport Minister says check before you go

Derek Mackay is doing his best to make sure people are fully informed about the latest conditions.

Mr Mackay had recorded an update for Traffic Scotland internet radio which will be broadcast across the next two weeks.

It lets people know about the wide variety of information sources that they can use to keep them mobile when weather conditions are challenging.

Thousands of people will be setting off in the next few days to visit friends and family at Christmas and Transport Scotland is working with Traffic Scotland to make sure that they reach their destinations safely. Traffic Scotland is providing a 24/7 service and people will be monitoring the network across the season, including Christmas Day.

Information on road conditions is regularly fed out through @trafficscotland to almost 70 thousand followers. It is also possible, on the Traffic Scotland desktop and mobile websites, for people to check the individual camera or weather stations to get the best information on conditions in their areas.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said:

“If there is snow at Christmas, it can certainly make us feel more festive but wintry weather can also cause some disruption to the transport network. We want people to know that we are doing all we can to help them get to their destinations as safely as possible.

“Thousands more journeys are taken on our roads at this time of year so we would urge them to leave plenty of time and check the weather forecast and conditions before they leave.

“Traffic Scotland’s information comes straight from first-hand sources, such as our partners in the police and operating companies as well as from technology feeds across the trunk roads.

“It is fed to broadcasters across the country, informing hundreds of thousands of us about conditions on the roads. It was good to be able to record my own message to find out just how much effort goes into the service.

“Our roads, railways, ferries and airports can face additional challenges when temperatures drop and there are difficult weather conditions. We stand up our MART roads partners to cover the season and are working closely with our operating companies, the police and local authorities to keep Scotland moving over the holidays.”

Notes To Editors

Mr Mackay’s message is available at https://trafficscotland.org/trafficscotlandradio/ 

Additional audio is also available at http://audioboom.com/transcotland

For real time journey information visit www.trafficscotland.org, follow @trafficscotland on Twitter or call 0800 028 14 14

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s website provides live flood updates which can help you plan your route in advance if you are travelling over the festive period. By signing up to SEPA’s Floodline service you can receive free advance notification of flooding in your area direct to your phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can sign up to Floodline at www.sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup or by calling 0345 988 1188/0845 988 1188.

 

Channel website: http://www.gov.scot/

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