St Edmundsbury Borough Council is piloting a scheme for its operators to ensure safe driving standards and make fuel savings.
The trail sees GreenRoad Safety Centers being installed in 20 fleet vehicles including cars, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and refuse vehicles. It is being funded by the council’s insurers and is being managed and audited by Transport Research Laboratory(TRL), who has randomly selected vehicles representing a cross-section of the council’s fleet.
A small dashboard display monitors the smoothness of driving, moving from green to amber or red with poor performance. Drivers can monitor the quality of their own driving, and managers can step in with training and support if required. Current users say it can help to make up to seven percent savings on fuel consumption.
Cllr Terry Clements, Cabinet member for Transport and Planning said,
“This scheme is part of the green travel plan we are developing for the entire authority, including working with the Energy Savings Trust to conduct a green fleet review. We are looking at an initial three-month trail starting in early September, and if it is successful, we could roll it out across the entire fleet of 140 council vehicles as well our leased and pool cars. Having had first hand experience of this sort of tool, I appreciate how effective it is and welcome its use in our fleet”.
Phil Clifford, Fleet Manager, St Edmundsbury Borough Council adds
“Road safety is important and the proactive monitoring helps drivers to drive better. GreenRoad will also help us reduce fuel consumption, costs and carbon emissions. These were all significant factors in our decision.”
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Issued by Sally Easton, communications Unit St Edmundsbury Borough Council. Phone: 01284 757046 Email: sally.easton@stedsbc.gov.uk
