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IT is only when Yorkshire is gripped by extreme weather – like yesterday's snowstorms – that the vulnerability of the transport and energy networks becomes apparent.

This was self-evident as commuters battled to work and the energy firms went into overdrive so homes and offices could still be heated.

It is easy to say that local authorities should have done more to prevent the travel chaos. That may be so. But, equally, it would have required considerably more resources and their critics would probably have been the first to accuse councils of profligacy if extra gritters, and staff, had stood idle for prolonged periods.

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One lesson that needs to be learned is the failure of so many buses to operate in areas like Leeds, Sheffield and Calderdale. Many depend upon them. And, crucially, a reliable service will limit the number of cars on the roads causing a potential hazard. This needs to be addressed.

Furthermore, the fact that the National Grid had to issue an emergency alert shows no chances can be taken with Britain's security of energy supply.

The stillness of the weather shows why politicians need to accelerate plans, for example, for nuclear power and clean-coal technology – while using imponderables, like wind power, in a complimentary role.

But, in the meantime, the most crucial thing is ensuring that senior citizens have all the help that they require – particularly when it comes to keeping their homes warm. This is, of course, a job for government and the official agencies. But it's also behloden upon everyone to show the community values that helped Britain withstand previous snowstorms, and which will stand Yorkshire in good stead this time around.

For a delay driving to work, however inconvenient, is nothing compared to the plight of a pensioner shivering at home because they cannot afford rising energy bills.