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Openreach wins fleet award
Thursday October 02nd 2008. Posted: 14:25
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BT's Simon and Rob receive the award from Richard Barnes, the deputy mayor of London, left, with awards host and television comedian Hugh Dennis, right
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Openreach has been awarded the coveted Transport for London Fleet of the Year Award - at the finals of the GreenFleet Capital Fuel Challenge - for its range of initiatives in environmental transport and fleet management.
Round one of the challenge involved completing a 33-mile course across London in the quickest time, while producing the smallest amount of carbon dioxide and offering the greatest fuel economy. The Openreach entry was an all-new prototype Smiths Electric vehicle. But Simon Tory, senior fleet innovation and vehicle design manager in the Openreach chief engineer’s unit, said the electric van, while significant, is only one element in Openreach’s environmental programme. He said: “The team working on the vehicle - Openreach’s Nicola Smith and Evette Calvin, and Rob Poston of BT Fleet, together with me and my co-driver Stuart Gair of Smith Electric Vehicles - are delighted with the award and we are working closely with BT Fleet and the manufacturer to develop the vehicle and overcome some technical issues arising as a result of the recent trial. “However, all-electric vans are just one of a number of potential ways forward for the Openreach fleet - and are only a small part of a much wider environmental programme. It is the breadth and focus of our environmental programme that won us the Transport for London Fleet of the Year Award at the finals.” Simon added that the chief engineers unit’s current environmental programme includes introducing new, lighter and more efficient vehicle types, as well as modified racking systems to reduce the weight of vehicles. “We have also introduced a set of top ten driving tips to help our drivers minimise their environmental impact - and a training video on how to improve vehicle maintenance for optimum level vehicle efficiency,” he said. “Additionally, we have launched safe and fuel efficient driving (SAFED) training for drivers - and set up a robust fuel reporting programme across the whole Openreach fleet. We are also looking at how hybrid vehicles might fit in - and are investigating the impact of bio-diesel on our fleet operations.” Simon added that, on a broader front, the environmental programme is assessing the potential impact of new engineering proposals, encouraging better use and recycling of network engineering materials, and looking at ways to reduce individual carbon footprints. For further information, e-mail Simon.
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Last updated:
14:55