2023

TVM0365 - Transport leasing, purchase and disposal

A member authority is reviewing arrangement for their vehicle procurement and disposal Please can you provide the following information:

1. What period do you depreciate vehicles over?

2. Do you lease, purchase, or adopt a blended approach?

3. How do you dispose of vehicles once they are no longer on the fleet e.g. Auction?

4. If an auction is used, is this in-house or on-line?

5. If auctions are used what is the commission charged by the auction house?

6. Please provide contact information for auction houses that would operate an auction from a local site e.g. council depot.

 

TVM0364 - Use of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as Diesel substitute

A member authority is reviewing the potential use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for their fleet. Please can you assist with the following information:

• Do you currently use HVO?

• If so please provide the following:

•  Costs of converting vehicles ?
•  Numbers and types of vehicles converted?
•  Time frames for converting?
•  Any barriers or risks that have occurred?
•  Carbon reductions made?

 

TVM0363 - Advertising on Council Vehicles 

A member authority is looking at the potential of advertising on Council Vehicles as an income source Please can you answer the following:

• Does your Local Authority advertise on your Fleet of Vehicles?

• Is this for internal use only or externally for income generation?

• If externally do you use an outside company to undertake this?

 

TVM0362 - Demountable Truck Bodies

A member authority is examining the use of demountable truck bodies. Please can you answer the following:

• Do you operate demountable truck bodies?

• If so: What are the demountable applications? Do you operate demountable Gritters and/or Hotboxes? What chassis do you use? Who manufactures the demountable?

 

TVM0361 - Pre Journey vehicle checks (non O Licence)

A member authority is reviewing the pre-journey checks for its vehicles Please can you supply the following information

• Does your authority prescribe pre journey checks for non O licence vehicles? If so, how are they recorded and monitored?

• Approximate number of vehicles? (non O Licence)

 

TVM0360 - HVO fuel vs regular white diesel

This local authority is looking to understand the pros and cons of HVO fuel versus regular white diesel for a road-going council fleet. They are particularly interested in any background analysis that has been carried out before a decision was reached. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

TVM0359 - Disembarkation of wheelchairs from taillifts

A member authority is reviewing its procedures on the embarkation and disembarkation of wheelchairs from a tail lift. They are unable to turn a wheelchair round on the bus. Please can you share your procedures for embarkation and disembarkation? Or do you follow guidelines set elsewhere?

 

TVM0357 - Home to School Transport Costs

A member authority is seeking information on SEND costs Please can you supply the following information:

• What is your average cost per SEND pupil of commissioned in transport (taxis and minibuses) not including the Passenger Assistants, just the transport costs.

• How often do you review/renew the contracts

 

TVM0356 - Vehicle/Plant Accidental Damage

A member authority is interested to find out if colleagues have a process in place for accident damage on vehicles or plant? Appreciating that everyone will have pre use inspections, they are keen to know what happens when damage is found. In particular:-

1.How do you investigate the damage?

2.Who investigates the damage?

3.Do you have limits on the cost of damage?

4.What process do you have in place for disciplinary action if found to be blameworthy?

 

TVM0355 - Scania Chassis- 4.25 GVW licence exemption – 200623

A member authority is reviewing their fleet

Please can you respond to both questions:

                Do you operate any Scania Chassis?

                If so have they experienced any issues with after sales, parts or warranty work?

Do you have any electric vehicles with a GVW of 4.25 using the driving licence exemption for category B drivers?

o             If so what types of vehicles have they procured?

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TVM0354 - Vehicle leasing - 200623      

A member authority is reassessing their future fleet options

Please can you answer the following:

                Do you lease any vehicles?

                If so : how many and what type?

                Who is responsible for servicing and repairs?

What proportion of the overall fleet is leased? (estimate)

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TVM0353 - Skip Loader specification - 020623  

A member authority is seeking to purchase a Skip Loader vehicle

They wish to hear from any authority who has recently purchased similar

Do you have a specification you can share?

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TVM0352 - Use of Minibus Lite & B class Licence – 230523

A member authority is reviewing their MIDAS Minibus training

Please can you provide the following information:

•              Do you deliver MIDAS training on Minibus lite vehicles (under 3.5 tonne) to holders of a B Class licence?

•              What driver training do you deliver?

•              Is it delivered in-house or externally and if so by whom?

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TVM0351 - SEND & Passenger Transport Drivers – 190523

A member authority is seeking benchmark data on payrates and conditions for Drivers working within SEN Passenger Transport services.

Please supply the following information:

PSV Driver:

•              Hourly rate/salary?

•              How many hours per week are they employed/paid for?

•              Term time or full time contract or any other arrangement?

Minibus Driver:

• Hourly rate/salary?

• How many hours per week are they employed/paid for?

• Term time or full time contract or any other arrangement ?

•              Do you employ staff directly or via an agency?

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TVM0350 - Independent Travel Training – 190523

A member authority is seeking to establish an in-house travel training team

Please can you answer the following:

•              Does your Local Authority have its own ‘in-house’ Independent Travel Training Service for SEND children?

o             If so how many employees are within the team?

o             Please share Job Descriptions, Person Spec inclusive of salaries?

•              Do you have an Independent Travel Training Policy you can share?"

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TVM0349 - Adult Elderly Social Transport

1. Do you provide this service?

2. What type and size of vehicle is used?

3. What types of aids / equipment do you permit?

4. Do you limit the number of aid / equipment permitted and if so how many?

5. Are there any types of aids / equipment that you do not permit and of so why?

6. How do you secure aids / equipment for example zimmer frame?"

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TVM0348 - Vehicle Cameras systems – 280423

A member authority is reviewing their policies on the use of vehicle camera systems

•              If you have a policy in place please can you share the document?"

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TVM0347 - Review of transport disposal contract – 260423

This member authority is currently reviewing its disposal contract and would like to gain further information on other local authority disposal contracts.  Any information colleagues can share would be greatly appreciated.

In addition, they are also looking into the possibility of offering their Community Groups the option of purchasing their minibuses direct from the local authority rather than going to auction. They would therefore be interested to find out if any other local authority has an arrangement like this and if they would be happy to share any issues/successes with this method.

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TVM0346 - Taxi Testing – 260423

A member authority is currently looking at options to conduct “condition of fitness” testing for Taxi (HC), Private Hire (PH), and Special Event (SE) vehicles (Stretched Limousines, etc).

One option is to subcontract the inspections using third party garages. We would appreciate any feedback on the experience, including the following please: -

● Do you use third parties to carry out testing?

•              If not have you previously, or are considering it?

● Are test types carried out following council created testing manual/s, or by just following the Class IV MOT manual, or both?

● Are similar tests carried out on PH, HC, SE and / or wheelchair carrying vehicles?

● Do you accept an MOT test in place of the inspection?

•              If so, how often?

● Are there other item checks that are made, beyond the MOT test?

e.g. (1st Aid kits, fire extinguishers, wheelchair accessories (ramps, seatbelts, wheelchair restraints, etc).

•              If so, who carries out the other checks, and has it been considered to use council staff to just carry these out?

● How are the following individual types of tests accommodated.

•              New vehicles not previously seen?

•              Vehicle suitability checks?

•              Vehicle appearance / bodywork condition check / post-accident repair?

● Does the council insist on specifying the garages / contractors?

•              If so, how were they chosen?

● What checks are made to ensure consistent and correct testing is being carried out and what action is taken if issues are identified?

● Have there been any financial benefits or losses?

● How did the trade respond to the change?

● Has it resulted in more feedback or complaints from the public?

● With hindsight - Is there anything they have changed, would like to change, or will be changing?

Any other observations or comments would be much appreciated.

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TVM0345 - Road speed reduction strategies - 080323   

A member authority have set quite an ambitious strategy of making 20mph the new 30mph to bring lower speeds into many of their towns and villages to improve safety and improve the environment those walking and cycling.

This is generally progressing well but concerns around impact on bus journey times and general bus operation have been raised; particularly when a town-wide 20mph approach is proposed.

They would like to hear from any authorities who have implemented this type of scheme to see if you have experienced similar challenges and how these have been worked through?"

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TVM0344 - Use of Seat Belt Buckle Guards on SEND Transport – 230223

A member authority is reviewing their use of Seat Belt Buckle Guards on SEND Transport

Please can you answer the following;

•              Have you recently used Seat Belt Buckle Guards?

•              If you ceased their use, what additional measures did you have to take?

•              Have you found an alternative?

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TVM0343 - LEV - Local Exhaust Ventilation in Fleet Workshops – 070223

A member authority is seeking to implement a Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) policy for their fleet workshops.

They are seeking the following advice:

•              Trigger point at which the system must be attached to a vehicle

•              What is deemed as “reasonably practical” when attaching to stack pipes on HGV’s (use of ladders to attach)

•              Amount of coverage in workshops – i.e. are all work bays/lifts covered by equipment

•              Do you have a written LEV policy you can share?

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TVM0342 - Vehicle Maintenance Stores – 200123

A member authority is reviewing their stores operation

How do you operate your stores:

•              In-house?

•              Contracted out?

•              Factored in-house?

If contracted out or factored:

•              How long is the contract/agreement?

•              Can you share your tender document?

•              Any issues with the arrangement?

Responses will be shared amongst all who reply.

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TVM0341 - Mini refuse collection vehicles

This local authority operates two 7,500kg (mini) refuse collection vehicles within its fleet, these particular vehicles have had a number of issues and have therefore required a large amount of downtime.  The local authority would therefore be keen to hear from other local authorities, in particular:-

1.            Do you operate any 7,500kg mini refuse collection vehicles?

If yes

2.            Are you happy to share the makes and models?

3.            Have you had any issues with these mini refuse collection vehicles in terms of amount of downtime and maintenance/ repairs?

4.            Would you be happy for the local authority to contact yourself to discuss further?