Transport Business 26

Business Information for Transport Professionals

Issue 26 2014 CV SHOW

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MOTORWAY SPEED LIMITS

INTERTRAFFIC 2014

TELEMATICS

AUTONOMOUS TRUCK CONVOYS The vision of self-driving trucks travelling on ‘smart’ roads

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

HS2: COULD BRITAIN COPE WITHOUT IT?

High Speed Rail Industry Leaders Group shares its view on the UK’s future with and without HS2

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COMMENT CONTENTS TRANSPORT SECRETARY Patrick McCloughlin has revealed that the second stage of HS2 will not be rubber stamped until the next parliament (see p5) which could cause serious issues in its rollout.

Legal & General, a huge infrastructure investor, isn’t a fan (p7). Chief executive Nigel Wilson has said the controversial project has “little economic benefit” and it looks as if HS2 is creating serious divisions in the opposition Government too. Previously, Labour Leader Ed Milliband has come out in support of the project, but health spokesman Andy Burnham is one of four shadow ministers to break ranks and criticise the plan. “HS2 needs to go back to the drawing board on its proposed depot,” he said. Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls warned that there would be “no blank cheque” from his party.

Scrapping the project or slowing it down could release billions of pounds for other policies and avert the need for spending cuts elsewhere.

That’s certainly not the view of the High Speed Rail Industry Leaders Group, which examines life without HS2 (see p8).

Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into an election issue.

Danny Wright

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Comment / Contents

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12 15

17 05 NEWS

15 INTERTRAFFIC 2014

08 HIGH-SPEED RAIL

16 TELEMATICS

What would the UK’s future look like if plans to roll out HS2 are scrapped?

What will it take to realise autonomous convoys of trucks travelling along thousands of miles of ‘smart’ roads?

12 SPEED LIMITS

19 2014 CV SHOW

Transport sector skills shortages loom; Legal & General to invest heavily in Northern infrastructure

Hannah Sampson discusses fresh proposals to increase the speed limit on motorways

The latest technologies in traffic management, parking, safety and infrastructure

The largest and most comprehensive road freight transport event staged in Britain

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 6 issues of Transport Business magazine for £99 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055

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Scotland’s Premier Low Emission Vehicle Event Thursday 24 April 2014 Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh

Register for FREE at www.greenfleetscotland.co.uk

News

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HIGH-SPEED RAIL

NEWS IN BRIEF Northern HS2 set to miss election new tolls for existing deadline as cross party support wavers No roads says Robert Goodwill

In an interview with James Forsyth of The Spectator, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin admitted that the HS2 legislation won’t be through parliament before the next election. He said: “I think one has to accept that perhaps through all its stages within the next 12 months is slightly ambitious.”

Supporters of the £43bn project to the north of England had hoped the legislation would become law prior to the election, so would not get caught up in party political politics in the election campaign.

“You have to accept that certain people, certain constituencies are heavily impacted by a piece of national infrastructure,” said McLoughlin.

Cross-party support has begun to waver in recent months, with senior Labour figures voicing concerns about the project’s costs. Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has remarked that the party would review the scheme if elected to government.

Government sources accept that the project may stall unless it has stronger national and cross-party backing, with northern cities and regions benefiting in the foreseeable future.

Under current plans, phase one between London and Birmingham will not open for passengers until 2026. Phase two, from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, would follow in 2033.

New HS2 project chairman Sir David Higgins is expected to issue a report which will suggest that to control costs and lock in cross‑party backing, the government must press ahead more quickly with the entire project. The Observer understands that Australian infrastructure expert Higgins, who delivered the London 2012 Olympics on time and budget, will not cite new target dates for completion but will emphasise READ MORE: the need for tinyurl.com/pwsga76 urgency.

Tolls for the existing road network will not be put back on the agenda in any secret government plan, Roads Minister Robert Goodwill has assured the Transport Select Committee.

Following government’s decision to scrap proposed tolls on the A14 earlier this year, Goodwill told cross-party MPs on the committee that there would be no U-turn on the subject following a general election.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/nseczr2

Secure Station Awards for Newport and Elsenham

LOGISTICS

Abellio Greater Anglia has been granted ‘Secure Station’ awards for safety and security at Newport and Elsenham plus eight others. The Secure Stations Scheme is directed by the Department for Transport and the British Transport Police and recognises good practice where train operators have worked in partnership with the force.

Stobart sells off trucking arm to invest in biomass and Southend airport

Rail Industry Group warns against abandoning HS2 Cancelling HS2 would lead to a withering of investment and a brain drain of engineers from Britain, the High Speed Rail Industry Leaders Group has warned in a new report.

“Thinking this through it became clear to all of us that walking away from HS2 is a risk that Britain just cannot afford to take,” said group founder Jim Steer. The new HS2 chairman, David Higgins, is reviewing the plans.

E Read the report summary on page 8

Record year for Eurostar

Motorway stalwart Stobart Group is to sell a controlling interest in its iconic trucking business to the Isle of Man investment firm DBAY in a £280million deal.

The group said it would sell a majority stake in Eddie Stobart Logistics to focus on biomass energy and expanding Southend Airport.

Stobart will get £195.6million in cash from DBAY, as well as a 49 per cent stake in the new company, with the buyer taking on £41 million of debt. The sale includes a complex arrangement under

which DBAY can use the Eddie Stobart brand for four years without paying.

At present, Stobart sources and delivers biomass, but it is planning a joint venture with an unnamed partner to invest in biomass power plants. It also believes Southend Airport is ripe for growth, with capacity to increase passenger numbers from 1million a year to 5million without much more investment.

Chief operating officer William Stobart, son of founder Eddie, is leaving to head up the new business and will own six per cent of it.

Eurostar has reached the 10m passenger-a‑year milestone it had originally been expected to reach by the end of 1997.

Despite arriving at the figure well over a decade late, Nicolas Petrovic, chief executive, hailed 2013 as a ‘record year’ for the high speed rail service, with sales rising 7pc to £857m and operating profit increasing 4 per cent to £54m.

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HUMAN RESOURCES

Report highlights skills shortages as confidence grows in rail, aviation and road transport sectors Despite almost one fifth of transport operatives fearing a skills shortage, just six per cent are prioritising investment in their workforce, according to a new survey from global legal practice Norton Rose Fulbright.

In its fifth The Way Ahead Transport survey, 17 per cent of respondents from the aviation, rail and shipping sectors believe a lack of suitably qualified people is the greatest challenge to the future efficiency of their business. The ability to recruit is a particular source of anxiety for respondents based in the Middle East, with 28 per cent believing that this will be the greatest challenge to the future efficiency of their business, followed by 21 per cent of respondents based in Asia Pacific and 21 per cent in North America.

The Where Next? survey reveals confidence is growing among the transport sector in line with improving economic sentiment. Three-quarters (75 per cent) of respondents believe current conditions are positive for their business and 47 per cent see new opportunities emerging.

Four out of five (82 per cent) respondents believe passenger numbers and freight volumes will rise and 66 per cent expect fares and freights to increase. Forty percent anticipate that a greater proportion of their funding will be allocated to investment as

opposed to operating costs. China is the most popular market for investment in the next two to five years, according to 30 per cent of respondents, followed by Western Europe (27 per cent) and North America (22 per cent).

Harry Theochari, global head of transport, Norton Rose Fulbright; commented: “The aviation, rail and shipping sectors are all putting in place plans to expand their business in line with an anticipated rise in passenger and freight volumes.

The development of new markets and

investment in additional assets are likely to be key strategies for the transport sector as it looks for growth opportunities.”

“While the majority of respondents believe funding will need to be more readily available if they are to grow their businesses, the risk of a skills shortage developing in the transport sector has also been highlighted. Ensuring a skilled workforce is in READ MORE: place will be tinyurl.com/nnfk6kh fundamental.”

HS2 DEVELOPMENTS Search to find High Speed Rail College site gets underway The search for the location of the main site for the new High Speed Rail College was launched on March 7 by Skills Minister Matthew Hancock. The new college will work with a network of employers, other educational institutions and providers to boost railway and engineering skills development across the UK. Plans for the college were originally announced earlier this year, generating significant interest from across the country. The government now wants to gather information from local areas on where the main site for the new college will be best located.

Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: “HS2 presents a major opportunity for economic growth. We are determined to meet this challenge by developing the facilities that will support the highly skilled workforce of the future.”

The college will have strong links to the rail industry as well as construction and engineering firms, ensuring that students will have the right skills employers are looking for to deliver big infrastructure projects such as HS2.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/kqkegyr

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT

Legal & General, considered to be one of the largest institutional investors in UK plc, wants to see greater spending on transport connections between the major cities of the North of England, and said it will consider investing in road and rail schemes to improve infrastructure outside of the capital.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive, told the BBC: “London is actually doing a great job, but Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, they need stronger linkages and we would be happy to support more investment in that.”

A spokesman for L&G told the Yorkshire Post that the insurer is ready to spend between £5bn and £15bn on infrastructure projects covering transport as well as housing, education, energy and health.

“If the projects are there, the structure is right and the

building work on Europe’s biggest construction site.

The new 40,000 square metre Terminal is almost four times the size of Buckingham Palace, with a steel-framed roof made up of waves, 45 shops and 17 restaurants.

Heathrow bosses say they have learnt from the mistakes of Terminal 5’s opening in 2008,

Legal & General ready to First look at Heathrow T2 new £2.5 billion when hundreds of flights were invest heavily in Northern Heathrow’s Terminal 2, which opens to cancelled, tens of thousands of passengers on 4 June 2014 bags went missing and hundreds infrastructure projects is the result of five years’ of thousands of passengers appetite is there, we will invest up to £15bn,” he said.

The insurer spent nearly £3bn on infrastructure and housing projects last year, but is not supporter of HS2. Previously, Wilson has said the controversial high-speed rail project linking London and the North has “little economic benefit”.

“We are a great fan of the Northern Hub project, which links together the major cities of the North and we would like to see greater focus on developing cities outside of London,” said Wilson.

The Northern Hub is a programme of targeted upgrades which will allow up to 700 more trains to run each day and provide space for 44m more passengers a year by 2019. Network Rail said the services and economic benefits will run as far as Newcastle and Hull in the east to Chester and Liverpool in the West.

faced delays or cancellations.

“Terminal Five opened with a big bang and tried to deal with 1700 passengers on its first day and 17 million fliers in its first six months,” Max Vialou‑Clark, Heathrow’s retail director, told the Evening Standard.

“But this will be a much slower ramp up, we are prepared,” continued Vialou-Clark.

News

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HS2

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Written by HSR Industry Leaders Group

HIGH-SPEED RAIL

COULD BRITAIN COPE WITHOUT HIGH-SPEED RAIL?

In its report ‘Great Britain: connected or not?’ the High Speed Rail Industry Leaders Group shares its view of the country’s future if plans to roll out HS2 are scrapped OUTLINE Those looking to form their own view on HS2 – the planned North-South high-speed railway line – can read any number of worries and assertions across the media.

While there has been strong parliamentary and judicial support for HS2, there is always a risk that its implementation could fail at some stage. We consider it important to contemplate this possibility, to help understand what would be lost.

As Parliament comes to consider the first phase of the project, it is important not to lose sight of what HS2 will mean for millions of people up and down the country, in terms of jobs, cutting edge skills, the economy and the benefits of a stronger transport network.

This report looks at a reality of Britain without HS2, assessing the impact scrapping the project would have on ordinary people.

First we consider what would happen to the capital budget allocated to the project if it were cancelled. Where would it go, how would spending be rebalanced and crucially, how much funding would go to other transport improvements, in particular our rail network?

Next we consider the consequences of cancellation on the national transport system, for our railways and the national

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road network in particular. Finally, we look to the economy and what cancellation would mean for inward investment to the UK. Precedents tell us that a range of outcomes are possible when projects are abandoned, including: the same investment is made but many years later – at higher cost; no alternatives are put in place; and the country falls behind developments taking place as a matter of routine elsewhere.

HS2 is about capacity and our ability to deal with the expected addition of 10 million to our population over the next 20 years, and about bringing eight of our 10 largest cities closer together, making Britain a more appealing place to live and do business.

up to £832 million for the year 2015/16, continuing to rise to £4 billion by 2019-20.

Depending on when abandonment happened, the abortive costs might be assumed to be somewhere in the range of £0.5 billion-£5 billion. These costs could not be recouped.

Overall, HM Treasury has allocated £42.6 billion for the construction of HS2 and a further £7.5 billion is nominated for capital investment in rolling stock, though in practice rolling stock is generally finder by the private sector in Britain. So, what would happen to the roughly £40 billion that might be ‘unspent’ if HS2 were abandoned?

NATIONAL DEBT The use or redeployment of the £40 billion capital would be a matter for the Chancellor or Government as a whole, not the department for Transport. As national debt remains a matter of major concern, one option for the Chancellor would be to use the windfall to reduce government debt. Alternatively,

As ent Parliam to comes e first r th conside the project, f phase o ortant not to it is impight of what lose s ill mean to HS2 w llions mi

THE CONSEQUENCES FOR FUNDING As of summer 2013, HS2 Ltd had spent £260 million on design, property compensation and work in preparation for the hybrid Bill process.

The expenditure rate is due to increase sharply,

HS2

For more information on the ‘Great Britain: connected or not?’ report, visit www.rail-leaders.com

CAPITAL SPEND PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

and consistent with a more balanced view, a Chancellor might seek to re-deploy the capital spend on infrastructure investment.

Interestingly in the case of HS2, there are no other transport schemes under consideration with the same scale of economic benefit – and transport is the department with the largest capital programme in 2015-16, roughly 20 per cent of the government’s spending programme. So, our view is that Government would use the saving to service the national debt. We estimate a 75:25 split, meaning that there would be £10 billion to re-allocate for capital spending. A reasonable assumption would be that DfT would obtain a proportion of this amount consistent with its current share of capital spending (20 per cent), with the remainder going to other government departments. Of the £2 billion made available to DfT, it is reasonable to assume that it would be divided along current lines, broadly a third on the national highway network, a third on local and London transport and a theirs on the national railways.

This means that there would be just £0.67 billion to be added to the national rail spend over the period of close to 20 years of expected expenditure on HS2. Some £8 billion would be re-allocated to other kinds of capital

Graph showing probability weighted outcome of additional 20-year rail capital spend with a central value of 75 debt write-down and 25 capital programme reallocation

programme, including £1.3 billion elsewhere in the transport field. These sums may be contrasted with the £2.5 billion suggested as being needed to fund a further upgrade in the West Coast corridor, put up as an alternative to Phase 1 of HS2 (but delivering far fewer benefits). The additional allocation the highways budget is modest too.

This scenario doesn’t imply any substantial release of funds to address the challenges HS2 is designed to meet. The outcome described above is judged the most likely, but clearly others are possible. Our examination of other possible spending scenarios is shown in the diagram above.

BALANCING EXPENDITURE A future chancellor might elect to allocate less than 75 per cent of the £40 billion to debt write-off. At 50 per cent debt write-off, for example, there would be £1.3 billion additional funds available to spend on the national rail network. If there was no debt write-down at all, assuming current departmental spending allocations still apply, the amount made available to the rail capital account would still only amount to around £130 million per annum. In practice, expenditure between transport modes could be re-balanced away from rail and towards roads, although the sums involved are insufficient to embark on major additional road expenditure. E

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HS2

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HIGH-SPEED RAIL  There is also the prospect of the Exchequer cashing in on its outlay, just as has happened with HS1. When this £5.6 billion project was completed, the decision was made to sell it through a long-term concession. If the equivalent process were followed for HS2, we could see cash returns to the Exchequer of £8 billion in 2027 and a further £8 billion in 2035. Without HS2, these earnings are lost.

An important point is that most alternative uses of government investment funds do not create assets with intrinsic commercial value. There is no equivalent concept for highways expenditure for instance, because of continuing reluctance to toll motorways. So spending on HS2 can earn a cash return for government while most alternative uses of the budget do not.

IMPACTS ON NATIONAL TRANSPORT The national transport networks face various pressures – renewals backlogs, the need to add resilience – as well as ambitions to reduce accidents, mitigate noise and air quality impacts, improve journey time reliability and to increase capacity and reduce congestion.

One of the benefits of high speed rail is its proven ability to attract people away from short haul aviation.

HS2 would be most effective in reducing the demand for flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London (and also from Manchester). It can be connected directly to Heathrow airport to provide a replacement facility even for those with onward flight connections, which would strengthen our national airlines.

Network rail would not be able to look towards the relief that HS2 would bring to the West Coast Main Line in the mid 2020s. It would, however, seek to re-allocate additional expenditure to these, its busiest routes for freight and intercity passenger traffic.

This would mean cutting back on spending elsewhere, so projects on more remote parts of the network would be scrapped.

In the West Coast corridor, investment would quite likely be allocated to parallel routes since little can be done further to the West Coast infrastructure. Schemes such as four‑tracking of the Coventry-Birmingham route would be disruptive and expensive, and would only be feasible if other schemes are deferred.

Other investments that are to some degree dependent on HS2 will also be deferred or abandoned, such as London’s Crossrail 2.

The replacement investment in the corridors that HS2 would have relieved would be most likely spent on squeezing more capacity out of the existing system. Passenger numbers would still rise, though by less in the longer term. Trying to fit in longer trains and a few extra trains onto an already crowded network

is likely to mean a worsening in performance reliability. With just 36 per cent extra capacity achievable on the West Coast Main Line by all of the available measures, including further train lengthening, overcrowding will worsen.

The technical and operational reliability of the route would have to be strengthened to offset the greater intensity of asset use, likely leading to an increase in disruption.

With regard to maintenance, the conventional operation of more train services would result in an increased level of wear to track and OLE infrastructure. As a result, additional maintenance provisions would be required beyond those currently in place, but the increase in services would reduce the access available to maintain the network, making a proof of maintainability an even more challenging proposition.

This means that people will look where possible to find alternative ways to travel – or indeed not travel in peak periods.

Some may switch to using their cars, adding to road congesting and worsening air quality.

In so far as permitted, there will be a further policy temptation to allow increased fares at peak times to try to help to manage demand.

Overall journey times are likely to be extended, and short-haul airlines will no doubt pick up the demand on offer, which means increased carbon emissions.

It probably won’t

Trying to fit in ins tra longer extra w and a fe an already nto trains oded network crow y to mean is likel sening wor lity reliabi

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TRANSPORT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Issue 26

be possible to accommodate any significant growth in rail freight traffic. This might affect the expected flows of container traffic from the new London Gateway port for example.

The implication is many more container lorries operating over long distances on the M25/M1/M6/M74 corridor, which could make it difficult to remain within legally enforceable air quality standards.

In terms of weather reliance, the HS2 project is designed and constructed to be able to withstand extreme weather conditions, and remain operational during a one in 1,000-year flood event.

This capability will be lost without it.

IMPACTS ON THE WIDER ECONOMY Abandoning a major government commitment would harm national reputation, and will make the UK less appealing to international investors. Confidence in Britain being a country that can make things happen well – as was shown with ventures like the Olympics and HS1 – will be lost. What would then be the prospects for investment in projects to renew our energy infrastructure, for example, which face some of the same hurdles as HS2?

The UK has great strengths in London, but the contrast with the regions outside the south east continues to grow. London’s economy rests on many factors, but one of the most essential is its labour market, which is larger than that of any other European city. To continue London’s expansion, the

commuter networks need to be expanded, and disproportionately so if people are to find more affordable housing. HS2 takes the pressure off the three main railway lines to the north of London, allowing this expansion of the labour market. If the rail network cannot grow, London will not be able to expand and housing choices will be retraced.

Expanding the population of the south east where there is greatest market demand is challenging enough, but the scale of the ONS projections, with a further 10 million people by the time HS2 is completed, suggest a more balanced approach to development would be more sensible.

The regions and devolved nations have an appetite for housing development and regeneration that is lacking is the established wider London commuter belt.

OUTSIDE LONDON The challenge of re-balancing the economy, regionally as well as across business sectors, has been recognised by Government and its sees HS2 as a key means of achieving this.

The way this would work is through the transformation in development values in the city regions that HS2 serves. Right now, the development market in the Midlands and North is sluggish. Experience from France’s TGV network suggests that HS2 will change investor appetites and that private sector investment will start as soon as an absolute commitment is made.

HS2

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If HS2 is abandoned, hundreds of British companies of all shapes and sizes will lose out on the opportunity to help build one of the world’s most technologically advanced railways The value of the accessibility changes that HS2 would bring is greater in the North and the Midlands than in London and the South East.

There are two reasons for this: the impact of HS2 is proportionately greater for cities such as Leeds as Manchester than for London, and the cost advantages (lower rents and staff costs) in the cities of the North and MIdlands become effective and appealing if they are provided the connectivity gains HS2 offers.

Other sectors of the economy will struggle.

The aim of spreading tourist visits beyond the capital has long been a policy aim, and international tourists are increasingly familiar with using high-speed rail as a means of visiting dispersed attractions.

No HS2 means that regional attractions will struggle to get their share of visitors, who will face using congested transport systems (road, rail and airports).

HSR and the wider rail network it supports create accessibility gains for urban areas; highway investment tends to have the opposite effect, adding value most readily to development sites at the edges of existing urban areas, at key intersections and in areas

that are not yet built upon. Abandoning HS2 and the strengthened national rail network that comes with it would mean less growth in towns and cities and more encroachment into greenfield and rural areas. It would be a path to a less sustainable pattern of development as the country seeks to accommodate another 10 million people.

Right now, rail is an important and growing sector of employment, with for example, a new plant created for Hitachi in North East England. HS2 not only creates a market for equipment, systems and rolling stock for the new line, by freeing up capacity on the existing network it creates the capacity that means further new train orders. Abandonment of HS2 would see these prospects wither, and the loss of 22,000 full time jobs per year (across a 13‑year period). Ongoing analysis by the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) looking at defining skills shortages within the railway industry would cease as programmes supporting collaboration between the industry and educational establishments to encourage more students to take STEM subjects would no longer be relevant.

CONCLUSION If HS2 is abandoned, some of the money will have to be spent on other infrastructure projects. Road and rail are already at overcapacity – the UK simply can’t afford to keep going as it stands. But our calculations clearly demonstrate that only a small fraction of the overall HS2 budget will be given back to the Department for Transport. Short-term fixes such as lengthening of trains will not be able to keep pace with the long term increase in demand for rail, and that our cities would not benefit from becoming more connected.

Walking away from HS2 also means walking away from a jobs boost – as many as 89,000 direct jobs and 100,000 jobs supported in the supply chain. Hundreds of British companies of all shapes and sizes will lose out on the opportunity to help build one of the world’s most technologically advanced railways.

Can the UK ignore the benefits of HS2?

Abandoning the project now will mean we have to revisit the same problems and implement a similar solution at a later date and at a much higher cost. No-one can want to see this happen. Join us in standing fully behind HS2 and supporting the building of one of the most exciting, ambitious and important projects in this country since Victorian times. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.rail-leaders.com

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MOTORWAY SPEED LIMITS

Written by Hannah Sampson, Saunders Law

Road Safety

THE TRANSPORT SECTOR NEWS AND INFORMATION MAGAZINE – www.transportbusiness.net

IDENTIFYING THE PRECISE NEED FOR SPEED

Three years after the idea was first considered by Government, motoring law specialist Hannah Sampson shares her views on fresh proposals to increase the speed limit on motorways A year ago, increasing the national speed limit on Britain’s motorways to 80mph was at the forefront of parliamentary debate and set to happen. The idea was shelved but it would appear that this might now be back on the table for discussion.

I last wrote about this issue at the start of last year when the Government looked set to increase the speed limit to 80mph.

Originally the policy was launched with a fanfare in 2011 by then Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who claimed the 70mph limit had been ‘discredited’ and a rise to 80mph would boost the economy.

The increased limit was to be tested on sections of motorway in the UK with a view to it being set nationwide. However, Mr

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Hammond was replaced by Patrick McLoughlin who in June last year, announced the policy was no longer a priority.

It is in fact believed to be the case that these plans were shelved because the Government believed it would ostracise female voters.

More recently however, divisions have emerged in the Department for Transport, with Junior Transport Minister Stephen Hammond revealing the plan could be easily introduced because

the Government has ‘not stopped work’ on the idea. Mr McLoughlin made it clear that this was not on the current agenda due to other more pressing issues but it seems that this particular issue of speed limits on our motorways just will not go away.

All aside, s n r e c con ters if he o v t s o m take t d l u o w asked hat we drive view t ph anyway WEIGHING COST at 80m law ought VS BENEFIT The debate remains a and the atch up contentious one. Some c to would say that given the

modern technology and safety standards of vehicles today

Increase leads to Danish accident reduction

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A report by the Danish Road Directorate Vejdirektoratet found that increasing the speed limit actually had a positive effect on the number of road accidents.

The two-year study looked at the effect increasing the limit on rural roads from 80km/h (50mph) to 90km/h (56mph). Since 2011, accident numbers have fallen because the difference between fastest and slowest cars was reduced, resulting in less overtaking.

Slower drivers became faster with the new higher speed limit in place, while the fastest 15 per cent of drivers only drove one km/h faster, going against the thinking that a higher limit means everyone automatically drives much faster:“If there is a large difference between speeds, then more people will attempt to overtake, so the more homogeneous we can get the speeds on the two-lane roads, the safer they will become,” Vejdirektoratet spokesperson Rene Juhl Hollen commented.

Backing up the claim are Danish motorway figures. Fatalities have decreased in the country since the speed limit was increased from 110km/h (68mph) to 130km/h (81mph) nearly a decade ago. Danish traffic officer Erik Mather said of the findings: “The police are perhaps a little biased on this issue, but we’ve had to completely change our view now that the ex periment has gone on for two years.”

Brakes and safety systems on cars are far better than a decade ago, let alone than in 1965 when the 70mph was set. There are also the advances in road technology to be considered

80 mph is a sensible speed for a modern society. Indeed Britain’s limits are lower than many countries in Europe; France and Italy impose a maximum of 81mph whilst on certain stretches of road in Germany there are no restrictions at all.

However the flipside of this is that the cost to society is said by some to far outweigh any other benefit. Campaign groups suggest that given the number of vehicles on our roads, raising the limit would cost society an extra £1 billion a year. £766 million of this would be on fuel bills alone.

The trials were set to start this year but the Government took a U-turn and shelved their plans. It was later last year following the comments of Stephen Hammond that it appeared that these proposed changes were back on the table.

This came as welcome news to many.

A REALISTIC ASSESSMENT Far from being a potential vote loser, it would seem to be the case that all concerns aside most voters if asked would take the view that we drive at 80mph anyway and the law ought to catch up with reality.

At present very few people adhere to the 70mph limit on our motorways. Indeed, if you stick to 70mph you will find yourself in the slow lane more often than not. If speed limits were set at sensible levels then chances are motorists would respect them.

Very few motorists object when they are told to slow down to 20mph outside a school. This is a realistic limit set for safety reasons. Why then shouldn’t there be a slight increase on our motorways to acknowledge our much changed and modern society?

The advances in technology alone mean that today’s vehicles can drive safely at this increased speed provided enough distance is left between vehicles. Brakes and safety systems on cars are far better than a decade ago, let alone than in 1965 when the 70mph was set. There are also the advances in road technology to be considered.

ENSURING SAFETY Variable speed limits can be applied to busier sections of road. There are also message boards which can be programmed and could allow motorists to drive at the higher limit on quieter stretches of motorway or at quieter times of day.

Safety on our roads must surely be a priority consideration when deciding upon this issue. The suggestion of a trial rather than a consultation seems sensible.

However, is it not the case that any survey would reveal that at least half of this

country’s drivers (probably more if they are honest) regularly drive at 80mph on our motorways? Surely the trial has been done.

BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT Some feel that legalising the 80 mph limit would cause some to drive at 90mph on the basis that 90mph would be “just” over the limit but the reality of this is perhaps that there will always be a few who will break the law and drive at ridiculous speeds on our roads. It is these people who need to be stopped and prosecuted.

As for the rest of us, perhaps we should be given the benefit of the doubt and the law should be adapted to the reality of day-to-day driving. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.saunders.co.uk

About the author Hannah Sampson has always practised Criminal Law since being admitted as a solicitor in 2002 and joined Saunders in 2009 as a solicitor where she continues to practise criminal law.

Her work covers the broadest spectrum from shoplifting to murder.

She has a particular interest in motoring law and regularly appears all over the country representing clients facing Road Traffic and motoring related offences. Hannah is an advocate in both the Magistrates Court and Youth Court and also works alongside counsel in the Crown Court and Court of Appeal.

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EVENT PREVIEW

A SPOTLIGHT ON TRAFFIC INNOVATIONS

Intertraffic Amsterdam 2014 takes place between 25-28 March and will extend to 10 halls filled with the latest technologies in ITS traffic management, parking, safety and infrastructure

ng Attendi rt a the Sm minar In 2012, the Intertraffic economic development; e S y show had almost ease the movement of t i l i e b m m Mo a r 26,000 visitors people and goods, and g o r P from 123 different answer to the citizens’ Theatre of charge & countries.Taking demands for reliable travel e e is fr ffic a r t place every two times and easy‑to‑use r e t n years. the event travel information; for all I tors and i takes place every two nreduce environmental and b i h x e years and covers five socio-economic impacts of visitors main segments, all housed transport; and take back public under one roof - Infrastructure, Traffic Management, Safety, Parking and Smart Mobility. This year’s central theme of the event is Smart Mobility, focusing on urban accessibility and traffic flow, with a keen eye for liveability and the environment.

SPOTLIGHT ON MOBILITY Smart urban mobility is vital for the functioning of cities. In 30 years from now, over 75 per cent of the world’s population will be living in cities, so Intertraffic Amsterdam 2014 has a focus on exploring the complexity of urban mobility and the role advanced technologies are playing in providing innovative solutions to support smart, livable and connected cities.

There is a tendency within city administrations to embrace the smart city concept and apply modern technologies to improve the quality of life within the city while preserving scarce resources. In terms of mobility, cities generally have to: ensure accessibility of the cities to support their

space from private car use for eco‑friendly modes and urban planning.

SMART MOBILITY CENTER The Smart Mobility Center has been specially created to focus on exploring the complexity of urban mobility and the role advanced technologies are playing in providing innovative solutions that support smart, livable and connected cities.

Intertraffic Amsterdam’s Smart Mobility Seminar, Theatre & Demonstration Programme (taking place in Hall 9) offers an interesting mixture of public/private co-operation, supply and demand of authorities, solutions for policy and technology and influencing mobility behaviour in order to improve traffic flow, safety and quality of life.

Emphasis is on urban accessibility, personalised mobility services and making better use of roads. As well as on the role that advanced technology can play in developing innovative solutions for urban accessibility and traffic flow, with a keen

eye on liveability and the environment.

Offering something for everyone, the programme will feature: examples of regional and urban traffic management; virtual traffic centres; presentations on social media and traffic management; big data and mobility; open parking data; the car park as a hub for mobility services; presentations of the Amsterdam practical trials (roadside and in-car systems); electric driving solutions; panel discussion on automated vehicles; mini-symposium on co-operative and automated driving; solutions for safer and co-operative intersections; interactive presentations on how to influence mobility behaviour; launches of new information services; bike parking solutions; workshop on Multimodal Travel Information; and the latest in-car information services.

Attending the Smart Mobility Seminar & Theatre Programme is free of charge for all Intertraffic exhibitors and visitors. Registration is not required for theatre sessions – but these are on a first-come, first-served basis.

For the seminar sessions booking is required. Any last-minute availability can be checked at the seminar counter on-site.

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INNOVATION AWARDS 2014 The most innovative products on the market will be put in the spotlight and the organisers of Intertraffic 2014 are committed to publicising these innovations in the form of the Intertraffic Innovation Award.

The contest is open to all exhibitors of Intertraffic Amsterdam 2014. All entries will be judged by an independent jury of international specialists in one of the following categories: Safety, Smart Mobility, Parking, ITS Traffic Management and Infrastructure.

The entries will be judged on originality, innovative value, practicality (technical, economical, feasibility), sustainability (environment and efficiency) and design.

The judges of the awards for each category will be: Dr Peter van der Knaap, managing director, Dutch National Road Safety Research Institute (SWOV), The Netherlands – judging the Safety Innovation Award 2014 & Overall/ Intertraffic Innovation Award 2014; Colin Sowman, editor ITS International, Route One Publishing, UK – judging the Infrastructure Innovation Award 2014; Peter H Martens, corporate director research & development Q-Park NV, Member of the Advisory Counsel of Directors the European Parking Association (EPA), The Netherlands – judging the Parking Innovation Award 2014; Nick Bradley, editor Traffic Technology International, UKIP Media & Events, UK – judging the ITS Traffic Management Innovation Award 2014; and Dr Ir B J C M Rutten, program manager, Strategic Area Smart Mobility Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands – judging the Smart Mobility Innovation Award 2014. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.intertraffic.com/ intertraffic-amsterdam

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Telematics Written by Siegfried Mortkowitz

AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS

AUTONOMOUS TRUCK CONVOYS: THE QUESTION IS WHEN, NOT IF

The grand vision of Europe’s freight transport is of sleek convoys of autonomous trucks travelling along thousands of miles of ‘smart’ roads. Siegfried Mortkowitz reports on what it will take to realise it A streamlined convoy of autonomous trucks travelling along thousands of miles of ‘smart’ roads, with the driver’s function reduced to maintenance and security, is the grand vision of Europe’s freight transport.

“I would say we will eventually see part of long-haul transport on roads that are ‘green corridors,’” says Fredrik Callenryd, senior business analyst for truck manufacturer Scania. “So that we would see autonomous trucks travelling in road trains in the foreseeable future, with drivers navigating only when they leave these green corridors, to travel to the depot, for example.”

European Union legislation due to come into effect is likely to speed the realisation of this vision, according to Gareth Owen, principal analyst at ABI Research.

The directive, which takes effect in November 2015, calls for all newly introduced models of trucks 3.5 tons and over to be equipped with both advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS) and

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TRANSPORT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Issue 26

lane departure warning systems (LDWS).

AEBS uses sensors to alert the driver to an upcoming obstacle, such as a traffic jam or when his vehicle is coming too close to a vehicle in front of him. If the driver does not react in time, the system automatically triggers a braking response that either prevents a collision or reduces the force of the impact. LDWS alerts the driver when the vehicle begins to drift out of the lane.

which – Callenryd, Owen and other trade insiders say – are key building blocks of what ultimately will become the autonomous, or self-driven, commercial vehicle.

Already, autonomous vehicles are in use in open-pit mining and at some airports.

Self‑driven mining trucks are, for example, able to negotiate roads within mining sites as long as they travel along fixed routes. And driverless transit systems, which travel on rails or guide ways, are in use at some major airports, such as London’s Heathrow and Orly in Paris.

Many long-haul trucks are already using cruise control systems similar to what is standard in passenger planes.

It n is ot a of n questio when f if, but oous truck m autono become a trains bringing reality, ificant sign s benefit

THE ROAD TO DRIVERLESS TRUCKS Both AEBS and LDWS are integral elements of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that are slowly taking over the truck driver’s decision‑making duties, and

According to Callenryd, there are two models of these systems: the basic system, in which the driver sets the speed of the vehicle, and the system maintains it, and the advanced version, in which the vehicle takes into account uphill and downhill sections and adapts to run at the optimum fuel-saving speeds. “These advanced systems have already proven to be more efficient than our best drivers in tests,” Callenryd says.

Scania’s new solution is called Eco-roll, and it uses both GPS and topographic maps to calculate whether cruising in neutral down a hill or using engine braking with the fuel supply switched off is best for the vehicle’s kinetic energy. Eco-roll is set to come standard for long-haulage trucks in regions where topographic data is available.

VOLVO’S TAKE ON AEBS AND LDWS Most truck manufacturers already offer a version of AEBS and LDWS. Claes Avedal, traffic safety manager at Volvo Group Trucks Technology, says Volvo has been offering LDWS on its FH and FM models since 2007, and AEBS on the FH since 2012.

Volvo’s lane departure warning system uses an optical camera sensor to detect when a vehicle begins to drift out of its lane and audible and visual warnings to alert the driver. However, the technology is not yet foolproof. “Functionality is dependent on visible lane markings,” Avedal says. Fog, rain and darkness are usually no problem. But if there are no lane markings, the system will not work.

Snow and ice on the road which cover the lane markings are also problematic.

For AEBS, Volvo uses both camera and radar sensors to detect traffic ahead. “Radar is used to detect traffic at longer distances, and the camera is used for object detection at shorter distances ahead of the truck,” Avedal says.

“By combining camera and radar technology we can detect more traffic scenarios, like stationary vehicles, and avoid false warnings.“ The initial visual AEBS warning is projected on the windscreen in the driver’s forward field of vision so that the driver will react quickly.

In addition, Avedal says, Volvo trucks are equipped with several other ADAS features, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), which automatically adjusts the vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe distance between it and vehicles and other obstacles in front of it; lane change support (LCS), which helps the driver when changing lanes toward the passenger side; and driver alert support (DAS), which alerts the driver when he is getting drowsy or nodding off.

The next step for Volvo is a technology that enables vehicles to communicate and exchange information with other vehicles (V2V) and with the infrastructure (V2I), known as Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems, or C-ITS. “One example of this is to provide earlier warnings to the driver of traffic conditions ahead, such as reduced visibility, slippery road, accidents or other obstacles,” Avedal says.

In addition to OEMs, manufacturers of ADAS such as Delphi are working to perfect the technology while offering aftermarket products to help fleets meet the new EU regulation. Delphi, for example, offers – among other ADAS products – a radar sensor that detects moving and stationary objects at both mid- and long-range distances.

NOT A QUESTION OF IF, BUT WHEN Avedal, Owen and Callenryd all agree that it is not a question of if, but of when autonomous truck trains become a reality, and all three say that the benefits are potentially very significant. “We believe that a step-by-step introduction of more autonomous functions will improve traffic safety, reduce congestions and fuel consumption,” Avedal says.

“If you have a convoy of trucks with just one person in the lead truck and ten driverless vehicles behind it, you have significant cost savings,” Owen says.

“First of all, you save on fuel. Trials have shown that these convoys can save up to 15 per cent on fuel, in the same way bicycle racers save energy by riding in a single file, to reduce wind resistance.”

There would be savings because there are far fewer drivers to pay. And traffic safety would also improve.

“Human beings are lousy drivers,” Callenryd says. “How many people died on European roads last year, 40,000? If we allowed a system to kill 40,000 people a year, then we could probably implement a fully autonomous

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system today. But we don’t allow machines to be as inefficient as humans.”

“Some 90 per cent of accidents are caused by drivers,” Owen says.

“That’s a very big target to hit.”

TECHNICAL AND LEGAL OBSTACLES Obviously, many challenges remain to be met, most of them technical.

“The quality of real-time traffic information needs to be improved,” Callenryd says.

But he adds that there have been “great improvements” in the technology over the past five years, and he expects that process to accelerate. Owen underlines the current high cost of radar sensors that are used to detect traffic and other obstacles.

“But I expect a significant drop in the price of radar sensors,” he says. “They will eventually be mass market, not niche.”

However, legal obstacles may actually be more difficult to overcome.

According to Callenryd, cross-border road traffic in Europe is regulated by the Vienna Convention, agreed in 1968. “it is very clear that drivers should be in control of vehicles,” he says. “There are no legal policies for computerdriven vehicles. We need a new legal framework that resolves such questions as how we judge between state‑of-the-art vehicles and ‘dumb’ cars.” The problem, Callenryd says, is one of liability. “If an autonomous car causes an accident, who is responsible? The car industry is not ready to take this responsibility.”

Owen agrees. “In case of an accident, the blame will probably shift more to the OEMs. OEMs will not release [autonomous] vehicles until they’re sure the liability is containable,” he says. He sees the introduction of what he calls semi-autonomous commercial vehicles – in which the driver can take over some functions – by about 2020. “Truck trains may be possible by the year 2025,” he says. “It’s a gradual process.” L

This article was first published in Telematics Update FURTHER INFORMATION www.analysis.telematicsupdate.com

About the author Siegfried Mortkowitz was the Paris based English correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA) for 10 years.

He was also the Prague correspondent for Newsweek and wrote for The Dallas Morning News.

Through the years, Siegfried has contributed to multiple magazines including Graphis, Monuments and World Architecture.

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EVENT PREVIEW

AT THE VANGUARD OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLE EVENTS

The largest and most comprehensive road freight transport event staged in Britain, the CV Show caters for every operator’s requirements, from trucks, vans and all types of trailers, through to handling equipment, fuels, telemetry and more The CV Show is the leading meeting place for suppliers and operators and many new products are expected to be introduced to the market over the three days of the Show. These new products will ensure that business visitors have the opportunity to see, first hand, every option to help them operate and maintain a safe, efficient and effective fleet. Unrivalled in size, product range and visitor attendance, the CV Show now attracts more than 18,000 high quality visitors, many with serious buying power.

The event runs from Tuesday 29 April to Thursday 1 May at the NEC in Birmingham.

Every aspect of the UK road transport sector will be covered at this year’s show; trucks,

including those that are sector‑specific such as refrigerated vehicles, curtainsiders, tankers and tippers. The van market also continues to grow and this year it really is a case of ‘all the colours, all the sizes’. Visitors to the Show will also see an extensive range of ancillary suppliers to the industry including products such as handling equipment, insurers, tyres, telematics, training providers, fuels and lubricant suppliers and a whole lot more.

VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS Vehicle manufacturers exhibiting include Citroën, Fiat Professional, Ford Motor Company, Isuzu, Isuzu Truck, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Renault

Trucks, Renault UK, Toyota GB and Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles. Most are planning new additions to their ranges and the CV Show will be a chance for visitors to see them for the first time.

Representing the light commercial sector, Steve Bryant, Vauxhall’s commercial vehicle brand manager said, “Vauxhall is delighted to be back at the UK’s largest Commercial Vehicle Show. The company has always been a big supporter of the CV Show and is very much looking forward to returning to Birmingham in 2014”.

In addition to vehicle manufacturers, many bodywork and trailer builders will also be using the CV Show as their shop window.

These include Al-Ko Kober, Cartwright, GM Coachwork, Lawrence David, Magyar, Maisonneuve, Maxi-Low, Montracon, Road Tankers Northern, SDC Trailers, SOMI Trailers, Strongs Plastic Products and Whale Tankers.

Paul Jones, Al-Ko Kober’s marketing manager, said: “The Commercial Vehicle Show has become a major fixture in the AL-KO Kober calendar. As far as we are concerned, it ticks all the boxes. It provides us with an exceptionally good shop window; it attracts a wide range of visitors and customers and creates a perfect networking opportunity.”

The CV Show also includes the Cool Pavilion, offering visitors a wide variety of refrigerated products and services. Gray E

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EVENT PREVIEW

 and Adams, Paneltex, Quinn Vehicles and Solomon Commercials have booked stands, as well as specialist refrigeration equipment suppliers Frigoblock and Thermo King.

CUTTING COSTS WITH TELEMATICS Key among the many issues affecting the commercial vehicle industry is operating costs. Fuel, maintenance, driver safety, communications all mean money and, for today’s commercial vehicle operator, telematics can go a long way towards making every penny count.

Once the realm of the big fleet operator, telematics systems are now accessible to everyone and, by their very nature, can be tailored to any company, large or small.

Whether it’s vehicle tracking, tachograph analysis, fuel economy or a fully integrated package that you’re after which covers every area of operation, exhibitors at the CV Show will have something to suit every buyer.

Karen Crispe, managing director of tachograph legislation experts Tachodisc, is a long-time exhibitor and great supporter of the Show.

“The CV Show has become the main event of the CV industry calendar,” she said.

“It’s the perfect opportunity to get the industry together under one roof, provides an excellent networking opportunity and gives exhibitors, large and small, the chance to demonstrate their latest innovations and developments. We at Tachodisc firmly believe that the use of technology, including telematics, has become an absolute must for all operators. Total efficiency can only be achieved with total compliance. It’s quite simple; you can’t have one without the other. Efficiency and compliance; telematics and technology have become the glue that joins the two together.”

With fuel now representing nearly 40 per cent of a haulier’s operating costs, global telematics provider Trakm8 is leading the way in enabling businesses to reduce that cost through the utilisation of Trakm8’s industry leading ecoN solution. Fleet fuel costs can be reduced substantially, as demonstrated in a recent Trakm8 fuel efficiency driving competition. Through

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TRANSPORT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Issue 26

Most vehicle manufacturers are planning new additions to their ranges and the 2014 Commercial Vehicle Show will be a chance for visitors to see them for the first time

feeding back efficiency scores to the driver, the winners of the Trakm8 competition scored an average of 98 per cent fuel efficiency, with one individual driver making an impressive improvement of 69 per cent.

Paul Wilson, Trakm8 sales director commented, “Trakm8 is delighted that thanks to our ecoN technology, many company fleets are becoming incredibly fuel efficient. The CV Show 2014 will give us the perfect chance to demonstrate that ecoN is easy to install, discreet and exceptional in performance. Working in conjunction with our most technically-advanced telematics equipment and unique online interface, ecoN can transform any business in a positive way whilst also reducing costs.”

These are just two of the wide range of companies in the telematics sector that recognise the importance of exhibiting at the 2014 Commercial Vehicle Show. More companies can be found in the product locator on the CV Show website.

MAINTENANCE ADVICE The CV Show again includes Workshop2014, where companies will offer advice to operators so that they can keep the industry’s wheels turning at maximum efficiency. It is the

only national forum for the passenger car, commercial vehicle maintenance and repair industry sector. It therefore attracts business from the widest possible audience including prime decision makers from franchised dealers, independent garages, fleet workshops, body repair shops and wholesalers.

Workshop 2014 really is a one-stop shop for those responsible for the maintenance of car fleets, vans and trucks, the opportunity to visit the latest providers of goods and services, including components and replacement parts to garage and workshop equipment. The chance of having such a wide range of expertise under one roof has proved to be of great benefit to companies such as Centrica, BT and the RAC; all of which operate many hundreds of vehicles and have substantial budgets for replacement parts and garage equipment.

Bradbury Equipment’s divisional manager, Keith McLaren commented: “We see Workshop 2014 as the only exhibition where potential customers can see garage equipment ‘in the flesh’, and, in many cases, actually working. We at Bradbury appreciate that the purchase of garage equipment is a major decision for any business and should not be taken lightly. We fully understand E

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Exhibitor numbers are up almost 30 per cent on 2013; however, actual space occupied is 20 per cent greater, reflecting the return of many SMEs to the show  this and will install equipment that is innovative, reliable and meets both current European legislation as well as the needs of the modern day motor vehicle, which together with an exceptional after-sales service is paramount to the continual growth of any business. We look forward to meeting existing and potential new customers to offer them professional and experienced advice about their specific requirements.”

TYRE MANUFACTURERS Choosing the right tyre is key to the success of any transport operation, because of the critical role tyres play in fleet safety and performance.

Operators should carefully consider their company tyre policy and the 2014 Commercial

Vehicle Show will provide operators with the perfect opportunity to compare tyre suppliers and decide which is best suited to their needs.

That’s why this year’s Show will feature 14 different suppliers to this essential sector of the road transport industry including Aeolus Tyres, ATS Euromaster, Bandvulc, Bridgestone, Continental, GITI Tire, Goodyear, Hankook, Kirkby Tyres and Wheels, KwikFit Fleet, Michelin, RH Claydon, TD Tyres and TIA Wheels.

An illegal or defective commercial vehicle tyre could mean a roadside prohibition, a court appearance and a hefty fine. A driver caught behind the wheel of a vehicle with illegal tyres faces three penalty points and a fine of up to £2,500 per tyre – regardless of whether or not they own the vehicle.

For fleet operators or owner drivers, tyre choice and maintenance cost dictates profit. Every transport operation is different and the 2014 Commercial Vehicle Show will provide operators with the perfect opportunity to compare tyre suppliers and decide which is best suited to their needs.

Guy Heywood, commercial director of Michelin’s truck division, says: “We spend more on research and development than any tyre manufacturer in the world, so it’s only fitting that as new Michelin truck and trailer tyres are launched, we display them at the industry’s largest trade event. For this year’s CV Show we’ve got the strongest product line-up in our history; it will be a major opportunity to reinforce that when customers think about their tyre policy, they should be focused on buying value.”

PROMISING UPTAKE Exhibitor numbers are up almost 30 per cent on 2013; however, actual space occupied is 20 per cent greater, reflecting the return of many SMEs to the show for the first time since business declined in late 2008. This is another positive indication that the CV Show really will have something for everyone. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.cvshow.com

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INTERVIEW

A GREEN L VEHICLES COURIER ER G UP VAN Fed SHAKINIA SERVICE Ex shares NCE its strateg low-carbo y for a COMPL ment from VOSA n fleet COMMERCIA

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ISSN 1362 - 2541

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TRANSPORT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Issue 26

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FLEET MAN

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BUSINESS ERTAV G VW E-UP S T T E E FL -IN EL OPTIONS D E PLUGG FIRST DRIVE

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Behind the wheel ofSta Volkswagen’s ff-o wn car s, poo first electric vehiclecars – howed do you knol car s, ren tals , or com w wh at’s pan y go electric bes t? decided to Initiative? ts anisations Which org EST’s Plugged-In Flee ROAD TES ■ TS: HONCT 200h HYBRID DA CIVIC 1.6 followingROAD TESTS KIA RIO 1.1 CRDi LEXUS i-DT

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