Creating the right environment for CO₂ reduction

Bus service operators are gaining better insight into their operations by monitoring fuel efficiency performance. As well as reducing costs, this is also helping to implement measures for the prevention of pollution. For example, drivers are now trained to avoid unnecessary idling and switch off their engines at terminals and bus stations.

Merridale diesel dispensers and computer reporting software supplied by MIS Fuel Monitoring of Wolverhampton, are key elements used by First, the leading operator of bus services in South Yorkshire, to record fuel usage. Attention is now turning to the best ways of using this data to support First in fulfilling its commitments to best practice and the reduction of CO₂ emissions.

In addition to its rail operations, FirstGroup plc is the UK's largest bus operator. The South Yorkshire area operates from four depots, including the former Sheffield Corporation garage in Olive Grove, which still holds its claim to be the largest bus depot in the country.

The Sheffield depot supports a network of over 100 routes serving Rotheram, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, the Peak District, the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Nottingham. With an operating resource of 600 buses and 2,000 staff, First South Yorkshire services carry around 90 million passengers each year.

"Currently gross fuel costs account for 23 per cent of the overall operating costs of the business," explains commercial director, Brandon Jones. "Apart from the environmental implications, fuel consumption is crucial to the efficient operation of the business.

"The majority of our operations are urban, based around city centre traffic movements. We are very conscious of the need to protect the environment and have achieved ISO 14001 accreditation. Our commitments to reducing the impact on the environment start with measuring miles per gallon (mpg) performance.

"Although efficient and safe driving are fundamental to our driver training, town centre developments nowadays are geared to pedestrian safety rather than fast moving traffic. Buses are an important part of the urban environment. We want to encourage people to leave their cars at home and to do this we have to provide a cleaner, more cost efficient alternative.

"As bus operators we have to persuade local authorities to create as many bus friendly areas as possible. Effectively to reduce delays caused by other traffic, to minimise problems caused by bad parking and other delays to bus routes.

"Bus lanes can be effective but only if they are well enforced. If a bus is held up by traffic or has to accelerate and manoeuvre around a parked car or lorry, this will have an impact on overall fuel consumption. Enforcement of bus lanes is becoming more pro-active now that the local authority wardens have taken over responsibility from the police.

"Other factors include the general topography; Sheffield is famous for its seven hills, whereas Doncaster is relatively flat, so we see a difference in fuel efficiency returns. Both Doncaster and Sheffield are areas of relatively high congestion. Doncaster has close links to the motorway network and is a boom town with the airport and interchange.

"Sheffield is going through massive regeneration at the moment. This is generating high volumes of traffic while much of the road network is under construction. On occasions, the Sheffield network becomes very congested. Consequently we have to put extra buses into the network to maintain reliability, and that will have a knock-on effect with fuel consumption."

According to Engineering Administrator, Andrea Williams, the Merridale fuel management software provides the tools needed to measure fuel usage and highlight trends, by comparing the performance of route specific vehicles.

"We are still learning about the software and how to identify different vehicles and create reports. Our first lesson was the importance of keeping the database up to date."

Keys are allocated to cleaners who also undertake the refueling. Transactions are authorised by entering a user ID and then vehicle fleet number. This information together with date and amount of fuel drawn is then recorded by the Merridale Auditor. The information is then downloaded each week to the office computer for analysis and posting to the main business management system.