Legal Brief
Aone+ puts safety first with new Mercedes fleet
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A new fleet of Mercedes-Benz trucks are being drafted into the front-line of the battle to keep some of Britain’s busiest roads safe and open for motorists.
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The manufacturer’s reigning Dealer of the Year Rossetts Commercials is supplying 25 vehicles to Aone+, a joint venture between big-hitting civil engineering groups Colas, Costain and Halcrow.
Aone+ was appointed by the Highways Agency to handle the day-to-day management and maintenance of motorways, trunk roads and bridges in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and parts of Lancashire. It is responsible for what the Agency describes as “some of the most challenging, heavily trafficked and complex” roads in the entire national network.
Most of the new trucks are 18- and 26-tonne Mercedes Econics, with low-entry cabs. Leading specialist Highway Care, of Maidstone, Kent, is the prime contractor responsible for development of their bodywork.
Eleven 4x2 Econic 1824LLs are ISUs (Incident Support Units). To base platforms by Charlton, of Dover, Highway Care has added large, tail-mounted crash cushions and light arrows, as well as walk-in storage units.
These vehicles, which also have sign racks and cone wells, are being strategically located at depots throughout the north-west. They will provide an enhanced emergency service with faster response times, setting up lane closures so that spillages or debris left on the carriageway after an incident, can be cleared safely.
The remaining six Econic 1824LLs and three 6x2 Econic 2629LLs, which have mid-steer axles, are TMUs (Traffic Management Units). These trucks have platform bodies too – the four-wheelers are also by Charlton, while the six-wheelers are the work of Bevan Group, of Oldbury, West Midlands.
Like the ISUs, the 18-tonners are fitted with Highway Care’s crash cushions and light arrows, but they also carry more signs and cones. The 26-tonners, meanwhile, have tail-lifts and can accommodate enough cones to close a 4km stretch of carriageway, the legal maximum.
Completing the new fleet are five 18-tonne Axor 1824s, which have platform bodies by NW Tippers, of Blackburn. Equipped with compressors, cranes and drop hammers, they are used for routine barrier maintenance.
On behalf of the Aone+ joint venture, Crawley-based Colas, which has more than 20 depots throughout Britain, led the vehicle acquisition process. The company’s National Plant & Transport Manager Trevor Purfield says: “We are very conscious of our Duty of Care responsibilities to staff. So from a health and safety point of view, because they are constantly in and out of the traffic management vehicles, a low-entry cab was very important.
“We also considered vehicles from another manufacturer but eventually opted for Mercedes-Benz because of the breadth of its product range, and the after sales back-up from its dealer network.”
Colas is also responsible for maintaining motorways and trunk roads in the north-east, in partnership with Halcrow. Adrian Sheppard, Highway Services Director for Colas, adds: “Colas is delighted to be part of the successful Aone+ joint venture. This latest contract builds on the reputation we have already earned and significantly raises our profile as a major service provider to the Highways Agency.”
The Highways Agency’s ‘MAC 10’ area comprises some 500km of roads, including stretches of the M6, M60, M61 and M62. Aone+’s new contract, which it won in the face of competition from seven rivals, is worth £158 million over five years.
Andrew Winstanley, the Highways Agency’s Contracts Manager for strategic roads in the north-west, adds: “We are working with Aone+ to make our roads safer and less congested, and have worked hard to ensure the right company was chosen to deliver exceptionally high-quality services on roads which represent a demanding challenge for skilled professionals.”
Aone+ was appointed by the Highways Agency to handle the day-to-day management and maintenance of motorways, trunk roads and bridges in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and parts of Lancashire. It is responsible for what the Agency describes as “some of the most challenging, heavily trafficked and complex” roads in the entire national network.
Most of the new trucks are 18- and 26-tonne Mercedes Econics, with low-entry cabs. Leading specialist Highway Care, of Maidstone, Kent, is the prime contractor responsible for development of their bodywork.
Eleven 4x2 Econic 1824LLs are ISUs (Incident Support Units). To base platforms by Charlton, of Dover, Highway Care has added large, tail-mounted crash cushions and light arrows, as well as walk-in storage units.
These vehicles, which also have sign racks and cone wells, are being strategically located at depots throughout the north-west. They will provide an enhanced emergency service with faster response times, setting up lane closures so that spillages or debris left on the carriageway after an incident, can be cleared safely.
The remaining six Econic 1824LLs and three 6x2 Econic 2629LLs, which have mid-steer axles, are TMUs (Traffic Management Units). These trucks have platform bodies too – the four-wheelers are also by Charlton, while the six-wheelers are the work of Bevan Group, of Oldbury, West Midlands.
Like the ISUs, the 18-tonners are fitted with Highway Care’s crash cushions and light arrows, but they also carry more signs and cones. The 26-tonners, meanwhile, have tail-lifts and can accommodate enough cones to close a 4km stretch of carriageway, the legal maximum.
Completing the new fleet are five 18-tonne Axor 1824s, which have platform bodies by NW Tippers, of Blackburn. Equipped with compressors, cranes and drop hammers, they are used for routine barrier maintenance.
On behalf of the Aone+ joint venture, Crawley-based Colas, which has more than 20 depots throughout Britain, led the vehicle acquisition process. The company’s National Plant & Transport Manager Trevor Purfield says: “We are very conscious of our Duty of Care responsibilities to staff. So from a health and safety point of view, because they are constantly in and out of the traffic management vehicles, a low-entry cab was very important.
“We also considered vehicles from another manufacturer but eventually opted for Mercedes-Benz because of the breadth of its product range, and the after sales back-up from its dealer network.”
Colas is also responsible for maintaining motorways and trunk roads in the north-east, in partnership with Halcrow. Adrian Sheppard, Highway Services Director for Colas, adds: “Colas is delighted to be part of the successful Aone+ joint venture. This latest contract builds on the reputation we have already earned and significantly raises our profile as a major service provider to the Highways Agency.”
The Highways Agency’s ‘MAC 10’ area comprises some 500km of roads, including stretches of the M6, M60, M61 and M62. Aone+’s new contract, which it won in the face of competition from seven rivals, is worth £158 million over five years.
Andrew Winstanley, the Highways Agency’s Contracts Manager for strategic roads in the north-west, adds: “We are working with Aone+ to make our roads safer and less congested, and have worked hard to ensure the right company was chosen to deliver exceptionally high-quality services on roads which represent a demanding challenge for skilled professionals.”
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