Addison Lee reinforced its environmental credentials by being named Green Fleet of the Year at the 2013 Fleet News Awards – just 12 months after winning it for the first time.

This latest accolade recognised how the private hire company is continuing in its efforts to seek out and develop new technologies to cut emissions.

For example, it is partnering with Qualcomm Halo, the Government, the Mayor of London’s office and Transport for London to hold the world’s first trials of wireless electric vehicle charging.

However, while it’s keen to be involved in cutting-edge technology, the company has also maintained its focus on the present.
It has used technology to cut its emissions by a third over the past 10 years, while a car sharing scheme and emission reporting for clients have also played their part.

In 2004, Addison Lee began development of a bespoke auto-allocation system to improve the efficiency of its fleet, which has led to a significant drop in ‘dead mileage’ – the distance driven without passengers.

By programming a ‘going home’ option, drivers can request a job in the direction of their home at the end of their shift.

In addition, it has added 300 Toyota Prius hybrids to its operation, making it the largest private hire hybrid fleet operator in the UK.

Lee Wickens, CSR and quality manager at Addison Lee, says: “Our fleet is in continual development.

“We are always looking to implement new projects that help us to reduce and control our emissions and all other environmental impacts related to our business activities.”

Fleet News: How have you encouraged smarter driving techniques among your drivers and how do you maintain their focus?

Lee Wickens: Smarter driving is a very effective technique to save petrol or diesel and we were keen to ensure Addison Lee drivers were offered smarter driving courses.

These courses were developed by the Department of Transport and are delivered by the Energy Saving Trust.

Our Topographical and Knowledge School has also trained more than 12,000 drivers. The school is designed to improve the student’s knowledge of London roads.

It consists of mapping, getting to know the vehicle, call overs and the assessment. The course typically takes three months, although some drivers may take shorter or longer than this time.

The Addison Lee Driver Diploma is designed to cover all aspects of private hire vehicle driving and includes eco driving, customer service, conflict management, defensive driving, cyclist awareness and emergency first aid.

The diploma has three different levels – bronze, silver and gold – giving drivers the opportunity to improve their skills and get a better grading within the company.

FN: How are you using technology to improve journey planning?

LW: We began developing a bespoke auto-allocation system that dispatches jobs directly to drivers via their electronic XDA device in 2004.

The system utilises satellite technology to identify the nearest and most suitable driver.

It also allows us to pinpoint the precise location of our vehicles at any given time. The system provides us with geographical updates every 30 seconds.

It led to an immediate reduction in the average distance travelled by vehicles to reach their customer pick-up points.

Ongoing development has resulted in a significant drop in ‘dead mileage’ and reduced wasted journeys, achieving reductions in CO2, NOx and particulate matter.

We are also able to provide detailed statistical information to our clients to help them eliminate unnecessary journeys taken by their staff.

Much of this is drawn from computer data of client journeys.

Customised reports reflect clients’ particular needs and may include emissions data, journey profiles, waiting time reports and sustainable travel planning.

They use this data for a variety of purposes including emission footprint monitoring, employee engagement communications and budget management.

FN: How have you mitigated your impact on the environment through vehicle choice and maintenance?

LW: It’s been through a superior choice of Euro 5 and 6 compliant vehicles and our 300 Prius models.

Our entire fleet also receives preventative servicing and maintenance in our two specialised garages.

The fleet is serviced every 5,000 miles and our garage has a team of mechanics for diagnosing, fault-finding, and rectification.

When recurrent problems are identified, feedback is given to the vehicle manufacturers, allowing us to promote vehicle design improvements.

Our preventative maintenance programme helps us to keep our fleet standards high and reduce the numbers of vehicles off the road.

FN: What methods are you employing to mitigate the environmental impact of the grey fleet?

LW: Our 700 office and garage staff utilise public transport or either cycle or walk to work and, as such, we have eliminated the need for a grey fleet.

Addison Lee offers annual travel ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme and provides storage for bicycles.

Additionally, we have approximately 100 home worker call centre agents to complement our 200-seat London call centre.

Home-working reduces emissions associated with commuting. Updates and training modules for home workers are delivered via cloud-based collaboration software, so they rarely need to travel in to the office.

FN: What new initiatives are you developing to ensure an environmentally-friendly fleet?

LW: We are involved in a wireless charging project for electric vehicles in partnership with Qualcomm Halo.

We’re also involved in the Open Air Quality Platform project, which is being run by Change London.

Air quality in the UK’s major cities is among the worst in Europe. Poor air quality has a significant impact on health, taking months and even years off our lives.

If that’s not enough to get us all thinking, Defra estimates the economic cost of poor air quality in the UK is around £16 billion a year.

Despite a widespread awareness of carbon, the emissions that affect air quality, such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulates, are little known and there is relatively little measurement of them.

 

Addison Lee believes the first step to improve air quality and public health is to better understand the problem.

It is looking to gather more granular data to offer a more powerful communication options and a greater variety of scientific value.

“Imagine how greater understanding could lead to more positive action and behavioural change across the UK – not to mention the potential for economic benefits,” Wickens concludes.

Factfile

Organisation: Addison Lee
CSR and quality manager: Lee Wickens
Fleet size: 4,500 cars and 135 vans
Brands on fleet: Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota
Funding method: Outright purchase
Replacement cycle: Three years (maximum)

Judges' comments

"Addison Lee’s commitment to the environment from the top down is exceptional.

"It gets involved in green projects that have no obvious commercial gain and takes every opportunity to seek out efficiencies within its taxi fleet.

"Software removes thousands of ‘dead’ miles, while car share initiatives and traffic avoidance systems keep CO2, NOx and particulate emissions to a minimum. "