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Supported by:
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AFD Show Cases |
| Clean public and private fleets in Winchester/United Kingdom |
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Winchester (United Kingdom)
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| A Quality Bus Partnership was agreed between MIRACLES and the local main PT operator: in 2003 13 new Euro 3 buses were added to the Winchester fleet and all mid-life vehicles will be brought up to Euro 3 standard or better. HCC have purchased LPG and Euro 4 pool vehicles, hybrid petrol/electric, LPG/petrol and electric cars. |
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Objectives / Innovative Aspects
- To reduce the environmental impact of the public transport fleet.
- To reduce the environmental impact of County Council fleet activity in the Winchester area and beyond.
- To overcome barriers to the introduction of new engine technologies
and establish a business case for clean vehicles.
The Measure
An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was declared for Winchester in November 2003, due to high concentrations of air pollutants in the city centre. To improve air quality in the city the MIRACLES project is encouraging the take up of cleaner fuels and technology, and running a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of environmentally friendly vehicles.
The main public transport operator in the area, Stagecoach, has a fleet of nearly 60 buses serving Winchester. Prior to MIRACLES, Stagecoach had already set up a rolling programme to upgrade its fleet to Euro II standard, but in partnership with Hampshire County Council (HCC), through MIRACLES, it was decided that this should be extended to meet the Euro III standards introduced in 2001.
Implementation Status
A Quality Bus Partnership was agreed between MIRACLES and stagecoach in September 2003. In November 2003 thirteen new Euro III buses were added to the Winchester fleet. Through the QBP an ongoing programme of retrofitting has been agreed for the Winchester bus fleet to bring all mid-life vehicles up to Euro III standard or better. Clean up grants from the Government organisation, Energy Savings Trust, have been applied for, to provide additional funding for the retrofit programme. Alternative fuel buses, such as the electric powered bus pictured below, have been trialled on the Park and Ride service to raise awareness of the different technologies available and test public reaction. HCC have purchased seven LPG and 30 Euro IV pool vehicles. The performance of these vehicles is being monitored and the findings will be used to inform future decisions regarding the renewal of HCC fleet vehicles. HCC signed up to Motorvate, the green fleet accreditation scheme, in March 2004. Motorvate have assessed the emissions status and efficiency of a selection of the Council’s fleet vehicles and employee owned vehicles used for work purposes. MIRACLES and Motorvate have held a workshop, encouraging local businesses to consider the environmental impacts of their fleets. Advice is being offered to local businesses who may be interested in incorporating cleaner vehicles into their fleet. Six alternative fuel vehicles have been purchased by HCC, these include: two hybrid petrol/electric cars, two dual-fuel LPG/petrol cars, and two battery electric vans. These vehicles are available free to local businesses on four week trials. The trials allow Winchester businesses to experience for themselves the performance of alternative fuel vehicles, and to address any issues they may have with incorporating them into their own fleets.
Results
Retrofitting of the local bus fleet is ongoing and expected to continue after the end of the demonstration phase, although funding may need to be found from other sources. Once complete, Winchester will have one of the cleanest bus fleets in Europe. Based on their analysis of HCC vehicles, Motorvate will be advising HCC how to improve the fuel efficiency and emissions status of their fleet. Improvements should be seen before the end of the project. Following the Motorvate workshop, local businesses will be invited to join the Motorvate scheme. The aim is to get at least four companies to sign up to Motorvate before the end of the project. It is hoped that the vehicle trials will encourage local businesses to purchase their
own alternative fuel vehicles, for use in the Winchester area. |
Author
Andy Wren
Contact
Andy Wren
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