Page 9 - issue-27

VW launches new mobile service van scheme
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has launched its irst Mobile Service Clinic vans.
Deployed in line with the brand’s ‘Working With You’ promise, the vans can be
used to carry out service work, inspections, A/C servicing, MoT repairs, minor warranty work and software updates remotely at the leet base location.
Volkswagen has further complemented this by offering extended servicing hours from the start of 2017.
The irst three vans are in operation at bases at Cordwallis Maidenhead, Heathrow and Oxford, and have been equipped by specialist conversion company, Surrey-based Winton Engineering. A total of 10 more vans are expected to join the network by summer 2017, with nationwide coverage planned towards the end of the year.
Delighted
David Bodily, Volkswagen
Commercial Vehicles service development manager, said: “I’m delighted with the vans – they look fantastic and will provide
a great alternative for leet customers.
“We’ve found the main concern for leet customers is downtime and how long their vehicles are off the road.
“The Mobile Service Clinic
van is a convenient alternative
for these businesses and demonstrates how we are dedicated to fulilling our ‘Working with You’ promise to customers.
“We are providing the perfect package for the leet network; customers simply have to call or email us to arrange a suitable time to book the work. It saves them money, time and minimises inconvenience.”
9 TVD lssue 27 2016
Variable speed limits ‘Twill cut trafic pollution’
he National Institute for Health NICE guideline committee chair, and Care Excellence (NICE) said: “Trafic-related air pollution is a has produced a new guideline major risk to the public’s health and
document that suggests variable speed limits could reduce air pollution around motorways.
Professor Mark Baker, director
of the centre for guidelines at NICE, said: “If the trafic is such that you are stopping and starting, decelerating and accelerating, then that increases emissions, pollution and fuel consumption.
“In those circumstances, slowing everything down to 60mph or 50mph is the best approach – but not all
the time. That’s why variable speed limits are far more sensible than blanket 50mph or 60mph limits.
“Variable speed limits are useful where at times the volume of trafic results in unhealthy driving conditions – which is stopping and starting.
So M25 most of the time, M4 on a Sunday, M1 on a Friday evening. Variable speed limits are justiied on roads which are busy enough for trafic to have to break for no other reason than that the road is blocked.
“The battle against air pollution has to be one we are all fully committed to.
“This draft guidance seeks
to redesign how we work and
live in cities. When inalised, its recommendations will ensure that everyone who has the power to make the changes required can be conident in the action they are taking.”
Professor Paul Lincoln, chief executive of UK health forum and
contributes to health inequalities. “The NICE guidance sets out a
strategic range of evidence based practical measures to encourage low or zero emissions transport. This is very timely given the imperative to meet EU and national air quality standards.”
The body is calling on businesses and transport services to educate their transport staff in more eficient ‘smooth’ driving skills, such as avoiding hard accelerations or decelerations and turning their engine off when at a standstill.
The NICE draft guidance recommends local councils place buildings away from busy roads when drafting town or city plans. NICE also says cyclists should be screened from motorised trafic
by shrubs or plants in situations where they are found to reduce air pollution.
Dr Jill Meara, acting director of PHE’s centre for radiation, chemical and environmental hazards, said: “As well as reducing the adverse impact of air pollution on health,
the advice will help to improve people’s wellbeing by encouraging exercise, and mitigating against climate change by reducing carbon emissions.”
The focus of the draft guideline is on a local level, where actions taken by councils and transport providers will have a greater impact across local communities.