Highways England is supporting its drive to cut carbon emissions with 72 new Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) joining its traffic officer rapid response fleet. The new vehicles are expected to cut around 250 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year, and were launched on Clean Air Day on 17 June.
Duncan Smith, Operations Director for Highways England, said: “We are delighted to be modernising our fleet with the 72 state-of-the-art vehicles that will not only reduce our emissions but also ensure that we are there when people need us most. Our traffic officers provide a 24/7, 365 days a year service and play an integral part of our operation and these vehicles will not only withstand the rigours of the role but are also cost effective, versatile, reliable and greener. This is just the first step in modernising our fleet, and we will continue to invest in green and electric vehicles as the technology becomes available, meeting the Government’s Road to Zero strategy.”
Highways England has 270 traffic officer vehicles available, a key element of the company’s operations, supporting numerous activities to ensure the Strategic Road Network is safe for road users.
Traffic officers trialled a PHEV and Highways England said it found that the vehicles perform as well as the traditional 4x4s currently used.
