Snow removal crews face
tight budgets

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Department of Public Works sent out dozens of trucks Monday morning to get ready for the first snowy commute of the season. But like many others, the agency is dealing with budget constraints.
Overnight, the full fleet, 75 drivers were called out to keep commuters safe. At about 11 a.m., that was scaled back to about half of the drivers.

DPW is facing challenges; many of their trucks are rusted out. That doesn?t just create cosmetic concerns; it can also be unsafe according to a DPW spokesman.

He said it can make the bed of the truck that carries the salt weaker, which is unsafe for the driver and all of us. Last year, the city tried to buy 13 new trucks, but that was canceled when there wasn?t enough money. Now, with a new year the trucks have been ordered, but won?t help this winter season, because they aren?t expected to arrive until spring.

"Several of our trucks actually should have been retired or replaced quite awhile ago, but because of budget constraints, we haven?t been able to do it. Our fleet services team has done a great job of maintaining these trucks and keeping these trucks serviceable, but it is a challenge," said DPW spokesperson Steve Hardiman.

Also a challenge this year, the price of salt has skyrocketed.