Gaskells Waste Services is delighted to announced we’re finalists at a major national awards which celebrates and recognises the achievements of those working to prevent road crashes and reduce pollution caused by vehicles used for work purposes. The UK Fleet Safety Awards with Brake are being held in Birmingham on the 19th of September and we’re on a shortlist of four for the Safe Vehicle Award.
This is in recognition of a number of ways we’re constantly investing to improve our fleet:
1 – The innovative Cyclear Technology from Innovative Safety Systems Ltd which is installed on all our trucks. It comprises of an illuminated sign and speaker to alert cyclists and vulnerable road users when a vehicle is turning left. It also has a sequencing sensor that alerts the driver when a cyclist or pedestrian is approaching. As a company we’ve recognised there’s more to cyclist safety than having a sticker on the back of our trucks along the lines of “don’t undertake” or “if you can’t see our driver, our driver can’t see you” so wanted to be more pro-active in our approach. Another part of this is our driver swapping eight wheels for two initiative where we work with Bikeright UK to get our drivers out of their trucks and onto bikes, so they can see the dangers cyclists face on the roads.
2 – The installation of CMS Supatrak across all our fleet. In essence, it’s a tracker, which monitors driver behaviour, which helps reduce idling and harsh braking, meaning a far more consistent and measured approach to their driving. Vehicles that are driven better last longer and the new way of driving is more fuel efficient, meaning less emissions and reduced fuel costs. We’ve also invested in technology which maps out the best routes for our trucks, to reduce emissions and we are certified carbon neutral.
3 – Our choice of vehicles for our trade waste trucks, the Mercedes-Benz Econic trade refuse collection vehicles, with its low entry chassis and five-star Direct Vision safety credentials. It has a deep, panoramic windscreen and we’ve chosen to have the full-height glazed folding side door to give our drivers unrivalled visibility, which is crucial for the urban environments we work in, where we share roads with cyclists and pedestrians.
Fleet Manager Carl Partington said “Safety is of paramount importance to Gaskells, which is why we invest and continue to look at new ways to make the roads safer for everyone. Our choice of vehicles and the technology installed across all our fleet reflects this, along with our driver training, in particular where they take to the roads on bikes. I’m a cyclist myself, and have also driven trucks, so I understand the difficulties both sets of road users face. Unfortunately, unlike our drivers, most members of the public only see one side of the equation. We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award with the road safety charity Brake. We’re looking forward to the ceremony in September and would like to say good luck to all the other finalists.”
Alex Swann from Bikeright Merseyside said Our quote: “We are thoroughly delighted and humbled that our work with Gaskells is a part of them making the shortlist for this award. Gaskells has been paramount in raising awareness of cycling and cyclists and demonstrably improving safety on our roads and we wish them every success in winning this award and for the future.”
