Banbury Town Council’s 4×4 FUSO Canter is equipped for snow clearing and off-road duties and will be used to help distribute grit and keep minor roads clear in winter conditions.

I’m always a sucker for any 4×4 vans and small lorries, and Banbury Council’s latest acquisition, a 6.5t, 4×4 Fuso Canter is a fine example.

Equipped with a demountable snow plough blade and grit hopper, it also has a dropside body a 5.0 tonne/metre Hiab XS 055 crane that can lift one-tonne bags of grit, Banbury Council hopes that the Canter will be a key weapon in its mission to keep the town moving when it snows.

The Canter’s arrival coincides with the recruitment by Banbury Town Council of teams of volunteer ‘snow wardens’, who are being provided with shovels, high visibility jackets and gloves, as well as training sessions on how to clear snow effectively and safely from minor roads and pavements in their neighbourhoods.

The authority hopes to be able to call upon some 200 of these wardens when temperatures plummet. Town Council Leader Kieron Mallon was inspired to launch the scheme after one of his constituents was unable to get his frozen car off his drive last winter to take his daughter – who was in labour – to hospital, because the grit bin in his street was empty.

“We want volunteers to link with each other so there will be a co-ordinated response to clearing the roads,” he says. “It’s a good use of council tax payers’ money if we can keep Banbury moving in adverse weather conditions, so people can still go about their daily lives.”

The 4×4 model combines the road-going Canter’s well-established virtues of rugged reliability and low running costs, with high traction, a limited slip differential on the rear axle, and a body and payload allowance of up to 3,880 kg. The 4×4 chassis is also significantly higher than standard Canter variants, the increased ground clearance allowing uneven terrain and steep slopes to be tackled with confidence.

Banbury’s FUSO Canter has a 129 kW (175 hp) engine and five-speed manual gearbox with dashboard-mounted shift lever for easy cross-cab access. Drive to the front axle can be selected or disengaged on the move, to maximise the efficient engine’s excellent fuel economy.

Now, all we need is some snow!