Dieselman
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 34,206
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- Peugeot 403 Convertible
Are we not all driving German on this site
*Assembled*
Well, other than the ones made in Austria, Spain, with parts made in the UK etc..
Highways Agency says goodbye to 'yellow army' with new fleet of 438 winter vehicles
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*Assembled*
Well, other than the ones made in Austria, Spain, with parts made in the UK etc..
Dryce
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- May 17, 2006
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- ..
The EU procurement rules for this sort of public sector purchase are strict and subject to audit. The process is supposed to ensure that tendering is handled fairly.
Swiss Toni
MB Enthusiast
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- Sep 1, 2004
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- Pedestrian
Well, I know that if I needed an ambulance, I would be happier knowing they were coming in the best vehicle for the job, not just the British vehicle for the job.
If I called for the Police, I'd be happier knowing that the 100,000 mile car they sent was fit for purpose, not just "British".
As I sit in traffic, I look in my mirror and see a fire engine bowling up behind me on blues, I'm glad they bought the truck with the right brakes, not just with "British Brakes" (Lucas anyone?!).
And when I pull out of my drive, onto a gritted road, I'll be glad they bought the right tools for the job. Or if I pull onto an ungritted road, I'll know that in the true spirit of patriotism, they bought MAN Trucks but the drivers went on strike
(Only kidding, gritter drivers are generally seriously dedicated guys. Forget yer fair-weather dustman, its the gritter drivers who deserve a bonus every year - use the freedom of information act to find out how much good will they show every year.)
If I called for the Police, I'd be happier knowing that the 100,000 mile car they sent was fit for purpose, not just "British".
As I sit in traffic, I look in my mirror and see a fire engine bowling up behind me on blues, I'm glad they bought the truck with the right brakes, not just with "British Brakes" (Lucas anyone?!).
And when I pull out of my drive, onto a gritted road, I'll be glad they bought the right tools for the job. Or if I pull onto an ungritted road, I'll know that in the true spirit of patriotism, they bought MAN Trucks but the drivers went on strike
(Only kidding, gritter drivers are generally seriously dedicated guys. Forget yer fair-weather dustman, its the gritter drivers who deserve a bonus every year - use the freedom of information act to find out how much good will they show every year.)
nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
Who needs employment and a healthy balance of trade anyway?
Looks like I'm the only patriot, innit.
st4
Banned
I am inclined to agree with you nick, but only to a point. UK PLC is not exactly swimming in money (think credit crunch) and whilst I want to see British people working in industy making British things for use in Britain it alas is no longer as simple as that. A home made product would cost more, and then I'd be whinging that the public sector hasn't been as prudent or diligent with its money as it should have been,, especially given the economic times. I still have my doubts however....
Remember British Leyland, poor shoddy cars that allowed the competition frankly to take over. Out of principle I'd much rather have a "british car" but I know they're not as good, hence I've had Japanese and German cars in my (short) driving career.
My point is such, we need to make (and design) equipment that can rival foreign imports to keep jobs and our economy alive. Its great building BMW engines in Hamshall etc (the Valvetronic 4 and 8 pots are built there IIRC), but they're going into a BMW, not a british car. We don't design these engines, the Germans do, we're just the plonkers that put then together in this case. We as a country need to invest in engineering, science and technology to develop manufacturing and industry again - so we can cheaply make our own superior gritters and cars.
I'm just so relieved they have spent 45m so wisely, snow and ice can be an absolute nightmare around Surrey..
..for about 2 hrs once every 5 years on average..
(joke, we do have bad snow and i know it's worse in other parts of the UK)
..for about 2 hrs once every 5 years on average..
(joke, we do have bad snow and i know it's worse in other parts of the UK)
Reason Man shut ERF is quite simply that ERF are rubbish, we still have some old ones come into work and they are horrible to work on and drive like a badly built yank car
Medway have got some new gritters Daf ones though and only 17tonners.
Do Dennis still make fire engines? i keep seeing a few Scanias about now.
Lynall
Medway have got some new gritters Daf ones though and only 17tonners.
Do Dennis still make fire engines? i keep seeing a few Scanias about now.
Lynall
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Dont forget the Highways Agency only do the trunk roads , gritting local roads is the responsibility of the Local authority
Often LA's choose different vehicles as having a fleet of gritters sat idle most of the year isnt cost effective in my previous life as a fleet manager for a LA we bought ECON http://www.econ.uk.com/pages/salt_spreaders.html demountable gritter bodies to be put on our existing highways fleet of Mercedes trucks so during the summer these truck are used for general use and in the winter converted to gritters
Often LA's choose different vehicles as having a fleet of gritters sat idle most of the year isnt cost effective in my previous life as a fleet manager for a LA we bought ECON http://www.econ.uk.com/pages/salt_spreaders.html demountable gritter bodies to be put on our existing highways fleet of Mercedes trucks so during the summer these truck are used for general use and in the winter converted to gritters
Rovinghawk
Active Member
W210 Fan
MB Enthusiast
Alive and well in Guildford, keep going past Mercedes on the Slyfield industrial estate and they are in the corner,
http://www.johndennisfire.co.uk/
miro
MB Enthusiast
People cost far more than equipment. Maybe they bought into the cost of ownership.
SilverSaloon
MB Enthusiast
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- Mar 16, 2004
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- 7,758
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- 1994 W124 E300D Estate, 1985 R107 280SL
jeremytaylor
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2005
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- Surrey Hills
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- E280CDI Sport Est., CLK 200k Cab., VW T5 174, Citroen C8, and a 2CV!
Oh dear. Pre-wet salt has been causing great problems in Europe with cars rusting prematurely. Glad I don't drive a W210!
Also, I notice that the Highways Agency 4x4s now have stickers bearing the words 'Highway Officer'. What the heck is a Highway Officer ?!?! Trying to give them the powers of the Police, but on the cheap? Surely not!!
OP
OP
robert.saunders
MB Enthusiast
All your questions hopefully answered here
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=659415&postcount=3
CE230
Active Member
All your questions hopefully answered here
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=659415&postcount=3
Ah! I understand now, they have the powers to make life more miserable on motorways than it already is.
Satch
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2003
- Messages
- 3,508
- Location
- Surrey
- Car
- S211 E320Cdi Avantgarde Estate & Toyota Land Cruiser
This is not a good idea
Rust warranty claims made by some Volkswagen customers in Austria rocketed up by 60% and VW found that this was linked to areas where pre-wet salt was used.
The theory is that "pre-wet" enables the use of less salt which, it is claimed, is environmentally friendlier. Oh and it also saves a considerable amount of money on salt but of course that has nothing to do with it.
"This is a big worry. I'm convinced, at a time when the economy is at its worse, people will be deeply concerned by the cost implications of this," said Adrian Tatum, editor of the engineering magazine Surveyor.
"It is vital we makes UK roads safer during tough conditions but if this particular technique used to grit the roads is potentially leading to corrosion of vehicles and street furniture then something is quite clearly wrong and this issue has to be addressed."
Professor Tony Hindle of Lancaster University Management School, said that the Highways Agency had "sidelined" evidence of the corrosive impact.
"It is not just rusting which reduces the value of a car, it is also blemishes on the paintwork and damage to alloy wheels. The VW research shows that pre-wet causes cars real problems."
"We know this is about the Highways Agency trying to save money. The evidence suggests that it is more corrosive to vehicles distributing it and cars running on it," said an AA spokesman. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/3140098/Winter-gritting-could-wreck-cars.html
Surrey has been using pre wet since 2000 and it leaves cars in a terrible mess, coated in grey brown cruddy crust. That of course is salt residue and whilst the bodywork may get cleaned up a great many people would simply not even think to hose out the wheel arches and wash off underside, to the extent they could of course
Not as if they do not know about it, either:
http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=71610
Interesting to note that:
"One supplier of gritting lorries revealed that chassis’ lives were being reduced by between two and three years because of corrosion. "
Rust warranty claims made by some Volkswagen customers in Austria rocketed up by 60% and VW found that this was linked to areas where pre-wet salt was used.
The theory is that "pre-wet" enables the use of less salt which, it is claimed, is environmentally friendlier. Oh and it also saves a considerable amount of money on salt but of course that has nothing to do with it.
"This is a big worry. I'm convinced, at a time when the economy is at its worse, people will be deeply concerned by the cost implications of this," said Adrian Tatum, editor of the engineering magazine Surveyor.
"It is vital we makes UK roads safer during tough conditions but if this particular technique used to grit the roads is potentially leading to corrosion of vehicles and street furniture then something is quite clearly wrong and this issue has to be addressed."
Professor Tony Hindle of Lancaster University Management School, said that the Highways Agency had "sidelined" evidence of the corrosive impact.
"It is not just rusting which reduces the value of a car, it is also blemishes on the paintwork and damage to alloy wheels. The VW research shows that pre-wet causes cars real problems."
"We know this is about the Highways Agency trying to save money. The evidence suggests that it is more corrosive to vehicles distributing it and cars running on it," said an AA spokesman. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/3140098/Winter-gritting-could-wreck-cars.html
Surrey has been using pre wet since 2000 and it leaves cars in a terrible mess, coated in grey brown cruddy crust. That of course is salt residue and whilst the bodywork may get cleaned up a great many people would simply not even think to hose out the wheel arches and wash off underside, to the extent they could of course
Not as if they do not know about it, either:
http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=71610
Interesting to note that:
"One supplier of gritting lorries revealed that chassis’ lives were being reduced by between two and three years because of corrosion. "
Peter i dont think there are any british truck makers left.
The bit about chassis corrosion reminds me of a foden 6x4 gritter where the side of the engine block had rotted through to the inside, it was old though iirc H reg.
Lynall
The bit about chassis corrosion reminds me of a foden 6x4 gritter where the side of the engine block had rotted through to the inside, it was old though iirc H reg.
Lynall