THE largest municipal fleet of natural gas powered vehicles in the UK has been unveiled by environment minister Michael Meacher. The 24 vehicles replaced conventionally-fuelled vans, buses and refuse trucks used by the London Borough of Merton. The gas-powered fleet includes nine Ford Courier vans, used to provide Social Services Meals-on-Wheels, nine Iveco Ford coaches and six Iveco Ford refuse trucks. In each of these areas, the gas-powered vehicles now make up half of the total operational fleet.

Meacher also unveiled a new gas station, financed by British Gas, at the council's transport depot in Morden. This will be open to other users of gas-powered vehicles in the area. The minister said: 'We need to explore ways in which services can be carried out efficiently but with the minimum impact on the local environment. Cleaner fuels, such as compressed natural gas, are an important step in the right direction.'

The fleet has been funded with the help of a £38,000 grant from the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme, which allows organisations to apply for up to 50% of the additional costs of purchasing alternatively fuelled vehicles. Meacher added: 'If Merton can do it, any local authority can do it - and I am also keen that the private sector looks at this very closely.'