Posted on Friday 20th December 2024
Christmas has come early for highways crews in Staffordshire, with the delivery of 24 brand new fleet vehicles.
The new vehicles include 18 7.5tonne tippers, 5 ‘hotboxes’ which can store hot bitumen ready for use on the county’s roads, and one 18tonne tipper.
After speaking with crews on the ground, the vehicles have been fitted with modern features to help teams when they are out and about across the county.
These include a five-way camera system to help driver visibility, heaters for drying wet clothes, radar vehicle detection, and high-power work lights.
To add to the service’s green credentials, all vehicles can run on hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), have LED lighting, and can be tipped electronically without the need for the engine to run.
The vehicles are in addition to the nine all-electric Renault Zoes, purchased last year and used by inspectors up and down the county.
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways Mark Deaville said:
“Our highways vehicles cover thousands of miles across the county, so it makes sense to review our fleet on a regular basis. This ensures that we are getting value for money, and also helping our crews do the best they can and work as efficiently as possible. These 24 new vehicles will replace some of our older, outdated models.
“We have invested heavily in Staffordshire’s highways over the past few years to ensure we stay up to date with equipment and technology. We’ve also listened to what our crews want to ensure they can get the best out of these new vehicles too. Hopefully they will make life a bit easier for the teams as they work hard to fix more roads across the county.”
The 24 vehicles will immediately be put to work across the county, working from Staffordshire County Council’s Leek, Stone, Gailey and Lichfield depots.