The fleet will be used as part of an ongoing lean efficiency programme, which, since 2010 has helped Walsall Council save nearly £400,000 a year and reduced the pothole failure rate across the borough from 84 per cent to zero.
The lean programme has addressed the complete process of pothole repair – from carriageway inspection to pothole filling and invoicing – helping Walsall Council to boost productivity and reduce waste.
The new fleet vehicles will help to deliver further efficiency savings by incorporating hot boxes that keep usable material warm, therefore reducing material wastage and the need for operatives to travel to asphalt plants.
Glyn Oliver, service manager, Walsall Council said: “While new vehicle technology is just one element of our lean approach to pothole repair, these latest additions to our 13 strong fleet will help to boost productivity and cut material wastage. Since we started the lean programme, we have continued to upgrade our fleet and have seen how cutting-edge machines also help to boost team morale, which is very important to fostering an improved working culture and approach to delivering repairs.”
Jim Appleby, business optimisation director for Tarmac National Contracting added:“The lean programme is an excellent example of what collaboration between the private sector and local authorities can deliver. This initiative demonstrates that it is possible to improve the quality of repairs and cut the pothole failure rate while continuing to unlock financial savings. Upgrading the vehicle fleet and embracing new technology is an important next step in our long term partnership with Walsall Council and I am confident that it will deliver further savings.”
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