AECOM has been awarded a five-year contract by Transport for London (TfL) to manage the TfL-developed Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS). 

AECOM will manage and develop FORS in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and Fleet Source.

However, TfL says it will retain an integral role in the scheme as the industry-led accreditation scheme is also rolled-out nationwide.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme has helped to deliver cleaner and safer freight fleets in the capital and with it now set to roll out nationwide this is great news for road users up and down the country."

AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support, working with clients in more than 150 countries. Its freight and logistics team is a specialist provider of freight and logistics consultancy services and has been involved with the development of FORS, while also managing its administration and benefits package.

TfL launched FORS in April 2008 to improve road safety and help reduce the wider environmental and traffic impacts of freight and fleet operations.

FORS accreditation is underpinned by a fleet quality standard, which operators are audited against. Accredited operators demonstrate a commitment to managing road risk, reducing environmental impact and improving operational efficiency. More than 210,000 vehicles from 2,400 companies are now accredited to FORS.

TfL has worked with a range of industry stakeholders to develop the scheme, including the Freight Transport Association, the Road Haulage Association, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Despite originally being a London scheme, around two thirds of accredited operators are already based outside the M25. Through the concession AECOM is now able to make accreditation to FORS consistently available across the country.

FORS bronze, one of three levels of accreditation, has become a recognised quality level for fleet operators. From the construction industry to utility companies, retailers to higher education, fleet operators must demonstrate a commitment to sustainable fleet activities to tender for work from the likes of Mace, Laing O'Rourke, Thames Water and Cambridge University.

AECOM has been tasked with expanding the scheme across the UK, which TfL says will allow more fleet operators and their clients to benefit from consistent fleet operating standards.

Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said: “In 2008 our innovation led the way to increased fleet road safety in the capital with the creation of FORS. This concession is good news for the future of road safety and the wider impacts of freight and fleet operations not just in London, but across the country.

"FORS’ success will be enhanced and AECOM will help this award-winning scheme expand nationwide to the benefit of all operators and road users.”

Richard Robinson, chief executive, civil & infrastructure, Europe, Middle East and Africa, at AECOM, added: “Today’s contract award builds on our ongoing work in construction logistics and cycle safety, cementing AECOM’s strategy in the UK to design, build, finance and operate major schemes for our clients.”

TfL will remain a champion of FORS, with all operators working on its behalf requiring FORS bronze accreditation.

In addition to FORS, TfL continues to support a range of initiatives aimed at increasing road safety and supporting the freight industry. These include the Industrial HGV Taskforce (IHTF), the Construction Logistics and Cycle Safety programme (CLOCS) and encouraging retimed deliveries. 

More articles on: