winter maintenance service
When winter arrives, important questions arise: Who is responsible for clearing and gritting which areas? Who is liable if pedestrians fall on slippery pavements?
Winter maintenance on public roads and pavements
Eigentlich ist es Sache der Gemeinden und Städte sich um den Winterdienst auf öffentlichen Straßen und Gehwegen zu kümmern. Städte und Gemeinden sind meist für die Fahrbahnen zuständig und übertragen die Verkehrssicherungspflicht per Satzung auf die Haus- und Grundstückseigentümer. Städte und Gemeinden legen fest, wann und wie oft geräumt und gestreut werden muss. Dabei ist das Streuen wichtiger als das Räumen. Früh aufstehen ist aber in jedem Fall unumgänglich: Ab 7.00 Uhr muss der Gehweg bereits geräumt und gestreut sein, an Sonn- und Feiertagen ab 8.00 Uhr – die Räum- und Streupflicht endet in der Regel um 20.00 Uhr (kann abweichend sein).
Which gritting materials are permitted?
The Federal Court of Justice has ruled that in the event of heavy snowfall, snow must be cleared several times a day and gritting must be carried out if necessary (BGH, ref. VI ZR 49/83). Sand or grit are permitted as gritting materials, but ash is not allowed. Salt is prohibited in most towns and municipalities according to local regulations. Once everything has thawed, any residues of gritting materials and dirt deposits must be removed.
Who is liable in the event of accidents?
If pedestrians fall and injure themselves on slippery pavements, the owner of the building or property is usually liable. In a multi-unit rental building, the tenants are responsible if the landlord has assigned winter maintenance duties to them in the tenancy agreement. But even then, the landlord must check that winter maintenance is being carried out correctly. This is because, under certain circumstances, the landlord can be held liable in the event of damage.
Winter road maintenance in Frankfurt
On behalf of the City of Frankfurt am Main, we grit the roads and public spaces according to a precisely worked out plan that is coordinated with the relevant authorities. This plan ranks Frankfurt's roads in order of priority. Priority is given to the so-called A-routes: dangerous sections on main and through roads, connecting roads, public transport roads and access roads to hospitals.
On other roads, especially in purely residential areas, you should therefore expect slippery conditions when temperatures fall below freezing. As a road user, please be prepared for this.
We are here for you
Up to 320 employees are on the roads for you during winter service, starting as early as 3 a.m. With 175 vehicles, they ensure that you reach your destination safely despite ice and snow.
During each winter service season, we carry out an average of around 70 inspection trips with 20 vehicles each. We begin safety checks in the city area at temperatures as low as +2 °C. Even at night, an employee checks critical areas, such as bridges, where wet conditions can easily freeze over, and grits them immediately if necessary. This ensures that dangerous situations are defused at an early stage. We also take care of pedestrian crossings and cycle paths. However, according to the statutes, winter service on pavements is not one of our responsibilities. This is the responsibility of the adjacent property owners.
What do you need to do as a Frankfurt resident?
Pavements and footpaths in front of properties must be thoroughly cleared to a width of three metres – and gritted if necessary. And, as mentioned above, this must be done every day during snowfall or frost, including Sundays and public holidays, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Only so-called abrasive materials, i.e. sand, fine gravel and similar materials, may be used for gritting. Ash must not be used for gritting. Road salt and other de-icing agents may only be used if the slippery conditions cannot otherwise be remedied. The use of road salt on pavements can damage soil and plants. In addition, four-legged friends suffer from the aggressive salt when it gets into their paws. And when clearing snow, you should of course not simply shovel it onto the road, cycle path or into the gutter, blocking them.
For late risers
You are welcome to delegate this clearing and gritting duty to our subsidiary FFR GmbH. For over 50 years, it has been ensuring that visitors and passers-by reach their destinations safely in Frankfurt, Offenbach, Vordertaunus, Mainz, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt.
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