East Midlands operator trentbarton has installed Wheely-Safe technology across its entire bus fleet after trials proved the safety benefits of the system.
The company was one of Wheely-Safe’s original development partners, testing early prototypes of the system, and has now installed the firm’s latest generation intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), wheel loss and brake temperature sensors on more than 400 single and double-decker buses.
Jeff Counsell, trentbarton Managing Director, commented: “We have been big admirers of the Wheely-Safe technology since the very beginning. It’s the only product in the industry that can identify when a wheel nut is beginning to loosen mid-journey, as well as supplying crucial data on tyre pressures and a temperature warning system that alerts us to any potential brake or hub issues, so that we can react accordingly and prevent any unnecessary downtime. As a public transport operator, the safety of our passengers and other road users is top of our list of priorities. Over the years there has been many cases of wheel loss within the wider industry, and the prevailing factor for most of those incidents has been human failure. It remains a massive issue in the industry, so to have a system to prevent that installed on every single one of our buses is fantastic.”
Steve Jackson, Managing Director at Wheely-Safe, added: “As one of our early adopters, trentbarton has had several years to test and trial our patented sensor technology and we are delighted it has now opted to protect the whole fleet. The working relationship we have had with trentbarton has been hugely beneficial to the development of our technology.”
Wheely-Safe’s external TPMS sensors replace the valve cap on every tyre, and work alongside a pair of wheel loss and temperature sensors on every wheel. The sensors auto-pair with a solar receiver mounted on the windscreen which alerts the driver of any issues. As part of the deal, Wheely-Safe has held training workshops with trentbarton’s in-house technicians and depot managers, demonstrating how to correctly install and utilise the system. Drivers have also received training on understanding the different levels of alerts and what action should be taken.
“The technology is now embedded into our operation and part of our day-to-day processes,” added Jeff. “We have 400 vehicles out on the road, some doing up to 300 miles every day, so to know there’s a system constantly monitoring the health of the tyre and wheel gives us real peace of mind.”
