Quartix helps West Oxfordshire win Energy award

19 December 2011, 3:30pm

Sam Thomas, climate change and carbon management officer, left, receives the Energy Savings Trust’s best public sector small fleet prize on behalf of West Oxfordshire District Council from transport minister, Norman Baker


West Oxfordshire District Council, which is using Quartix telematics technology to plan more efficient routes for its service vehicle fleet, has won a top Energy Savings Trust award.

The council, winner of the best small public sector fleet prize, has reduced its C02 emissions by 17 per cent – amounting to up to 368 tonnes of carbon.

Fleet Hero Awards 2011 judges said the council had used all the tools available to it and made some significant changes. Its results were particularly impressive for a small district council: managers had tackled key criteria in a good, consistent way and demonstrated very detailed record keeping.

The Witney-based local authority found its 91-vehicle fleet was responsible for 43 per cent of its carbon footprint. As a result, it implemented a carbon management plan to reduce emissions by 5 per cent a year and in January 2011 adopted a green travel plan.

In July 2010, the council ran a smarter driver training programme and repeated it in January, 2011 when new employees and some services which had missed out the first time were included. This delivered efficiency improvements of up to 38 per cent.

West Oxfordshire District Council employs the Merridale fuel system to monitor driver and vehicle fuel efficiency. It is used in conjunction with Quartix telematics technology, which enables it to plan efficient routes for its service vehicles.

Fleet replacement has focused on more fuel-efficient vehicles; the most recent, procured in June, increased fuel efficiency by 2.1mpg.

The council has also invested in two pool bikes to reduce grey fleet mileage for local journeys.

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