THE transport boss charged with keeping drivers moving on Buckinghamshire's roads this winter is confident he has the resources to cope, as the £1.1m operation gets underway.

Transport for Bucks says it has 12,000 tonnes of salt in stock, as it outlined its plan to deal with the potentially difficult season.

Officials were blasted two years ago after grit supplies ran out in a particularly severe December and January, with heavy snow.

But Winter Operations Manager Simon Dudley said TfB had "learnt a lot of lessons" from that.

He added: "We are pretty confident we will have enough to cope with a severe winter."

There is a £1.1m budget for the winter transport plan. Asked if it could exceed that if conditions become particularly severe, Mr Dudley said: "There are reserves there, should the weather be even more severe than what we're predicting."

Hazlemere forecaster Jim Dale predicted earlier this month that Bucks will experience a colder than average winter, with snow likely in December.

But Mr Dudley said the forecasting firm TfB uses is more optimistic.

"However we are ready for all kinds of severe weather whether it's flood, wind snow or ice," he said.

There are 25 front line salt spreaders based at four depots around the county, including High Wycombe.

Mr Dudley added 40 per cent of the network gets gritted.