17 April 2019

A demand-responsive bus service operating in Oxford is set for expansion after enjoying greater than expected success.

The PickMeUp on-demand bus operation exceeded all expectations during its first nine months of operation and will now add more vehicles and additional staff.

More than 100,000 journeys have been made since launch in June 2018 with over 22,000 registered users signed up to the app and an average of 3,500 journeys now completed each week.

PickMeUp, managed by the Oxford Bus Company on behalf of the Go-Ahead Group, is the largest scheme of its kind to be launched by a UK bus company. It enables passengers to request a mini-bus pick-up within 15 minutes at a virtual bus stop using a mobile phone app. The service provides the flexibility to choose both the start and end point of journeys within the Eastern Arc of the city. Matching technology enables passengers to be grouped with others making similar journeys to enable ride-sharing.

PickMeUp operates in an area with a high concentration of car use, with more than nine out of 10 commuters travelling to work in their own vehicles. The initiative is intended to tackle worsening traffic congestion and a shortage of parking as Oxford’s economy grows.

Katy Taylor, Commercial and Customer Director at Go-Ahead Group, said, “Passengers have embraced this new idea and we’re looking at ways to introduce demand-responsive bus services elsewhere in the UK. We’re always keen to find ways to meet customers’ needs through better use of transport and innovation. Passengers and local businesses have told us they want more flexibility and greater connectivity and we’re working to deliver on those.”

18 April 2019

This week, Transport News Brief asked a number of senior figures from across the industry to look forward and share the things that their brands are working towards during the year ahead.

Robert Grozdanovski, Managing Director, Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, sees much to celebrate for the brand, its dealers and their customers over the weeks and months ahead.

Robert said, “Despite the uncertainty, 2019 will largely be business as usual for Volvo Trucks and its dealer network in the UK and Ireland.

“There are several products that we have launched over the past 12 months that are now coming on stream that will benefit our customers during 2019 and beyond.”

Among the most exciting developments at Volvo Trucks is the recently-launched Volvo FH with I-Save option featuring the new D13TC Euro VI Step D engine and new, state-of-the-art pistons with a patented wave-shaped crown that improves combustion and increases efficiency by guiding heat and energy to the centre of each cylinder.

“Every aspect of I-Save is tailored to suit long-haul operators, especially those that typically drive more than 160,000 km per year, as the engine now produces up to an additional 300Nm of extra torque.

“This means less acceleration and fuel is needed to keep a steady speed in motorway traffic. So, the longer they drive, the more they can potentially save with an engine which delivers a highly fuel-efficient and smooth driving experience.”

The brand is also excited about its new long-haul fuel-saving tech, the introduction of a new generation of fuel-efficient rear axles and the arrival of its revolutionary external steering interface, EXSTER.

Robert added, “Finally, with the launch of our FL and FE electric chassis coming at a time of London’s ULEZ and various proposed Clean Air Zones, together with the increasing network of charging points, we think that there is a pretty strong business case for going electric this year!”

For Mike Belk, Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK, the recent launch of the new Actros and the impact it will have in market is one of the most exciting things happening this year.

He said, “The new Actros is a truly remarkable vehicle which, among its other achievements, heralds the demise of conventional driving mirrors and replaces them with safer and more aerodynamically efficient camera-based systems.

“Our MirrorCam system – available on the Actros – is a hugely impressive piece of technology and has contributed to the new truck being hailed as a ‘total game-changer’.”

MirrorCam improves road safety by giving drivers greater visibility both in front of the vehicle and to the rear, greatly reducing blindspots. Offering improved aerodynamics, the system can help the brand’s new Predictive Powertrain Control system improve fuel efficiency by between 3-5%.

Meanwhile, Ford of Britain Managing Director, Andy Barratt, pointed to the brand’s sales success in the first quarter of 2019 as a reason for positivity.

Now in its 54th consecutive year as the number one brand for commercial vehicle sales, Ford enjoyed its best-ever month for commercial vehicles sales in the UK in March, with more than 24,000 registrations.

The Fiesta van, Transit Courier, Transit Custom, Tourneo Custom and Transit 2.0-tonne, were all number one in their respective segments.

Andy expects strong sales to continue in 2019 and, such is the brand’s optimism, that it has just extended its stand space to create its biggest ever presence at the CV Show later this month.

The additional space will be used to demonstrate Transit’s semi-autonomous parking feature.

“Ford had a good start to the year, especially in higher value market segments, such as commercial vehicles sales, and despite uncertainty, we continue to expect a strong sales year for Ford in the UK,” said Andy.

He continued, “I want to thank our customers for again putting their trust in the Ford commercial vehicle range. Our CV sales success has already provided us with a great base to build upon in 2019, and with Transit we are ready to reach further new heights this year.”

17 April 2019

Gnewt by Menzies Distribution has delivered its 500,000th parcel for online retailer ASOS through a trial using a combination of electric vans and human porters.

The partnership sees parcels bulk delivered by Menzies to the Gnewt hub in Bow, East London, before onward deliveries to customers are made using EV vans and human porters.

Working in this way, the company is now delivering more than 4,000 parcels per day.

Sam Clarke, head of business development at Menzies Distribution, said, “Air pollution is a major issue in London and Gnewt is proud to provide a service which is emission-free at the last mile, reduces congestion and doesn’t compromise on speed and quality of service.”

17 April 2019

Renault Trucks is offering a suite of new technology designed to enable construction vehicles to integrate better in the city or on-site.

The measures are part of the brand’s continuous focus on improving the safety of city-dwellers, drivers and their loads.

Available across Renault’s C and K ranges, the new features will work alongside existing safety systems to further improve safety for vulnerable road users, such as cyclists.

The new measures include an emergency parking brake application with anti-runaway mode, the addition of a passenger-side vision door that gives drivers greater sight of other road users, surveillance cameras linked to the vehicle’s main Roadpad+ screen and external presence detectors.