TSS awards Enterprise Flex-E-Rent its passenger transport fleet replacement programme

Following a decision to undertake a full fleet replacement programme, specialist passenger transport organisation Transport Service Solutions Ltd (TSS) has acquired seven new vehicles from Enterprise Flex-E-Rent. These new passenger vehicles will initially support Cheshire East Council’s children’s transport service as well as other future areas of operation.

Based in Crewe, TSS is wholly-owned by Cheshire East Borough Council. The five-year deal with Enterprise Flex-E-Rent initially involves the supply of seven new Mercedes Sprinter 513 chassis, five of which are fitted with Treka Bus 16 bodies and two with Stanford Coachworks van conversions. TSS has also selected full repair and maintenance support from Enterprise Flex-E-Rent for the contract duration.

TSS plans, procures and manages all the passenger transport services for Cheshire East Council’s children’s transport operation and currently transports around 3,500 students every school day. The decision to award Enterprise Flex-E-Rent this fleet replacement contract followed an intensive five-month procurement programme, which was compliant with Public Contract Regulations 2015 and involved seven potential suppliers.

Steve Thurman, Contracts and Performance Officer at TSS said: “We were really impressed by the ability of Enterprise Flex-E-Rent to listen to what we required. They very quickly put together a team who identified the correct vehicle specifications for our fleet. We visited their Shrewsbury head office to view a selection of potential vehicles before finalising the end specification. We found that they were extremely focused on customer service throughout the tender process.”

The first of the seven new vehicles was featured on the Eberspacher stand at the CV Show in April and the full vehicle order will be delivered to TSS on a phased basis with the order completed by August this year in time for the new school year.

All the new TSS liveried passenger vehicles are 16-seat wheelchair accessible models based on the popular Mercedes Sprinter 513 chassis with 7-speed automatic transmission. The five Treka Bus16 bodied vehicles are designed for traditional school operations with an adaptive floorplan to accommodate passengers with disabilities and up to six wheelchairs. These vehicles feature 16 Phoenix saloon seats in a combination of Blenheim and Shuffle models, a PLS Access H underfloor passenger lift, and a reversing camera system.

The two Stanford Coachworks body conversions have been designed to be suitable for new opportunities such as ’out of hours’ journeys and wedding parties, in addition to supporting more routine school transport contracts.

“We are currently midway through the delivery programme. Enterprise Flex-E-Rent has been excellent at keeping us fully informed on the order progress. Nothing is too much trouble for them and the service and backup has been outstanding since we placed the order. Enterprise has demonstrated that it is an experienced provider of passenger transport solutions as well as an organisation with excellent customer care,” said Thurman.

TSS was formed by Cheshire East Council in January 2015 with a new structure and staff in place with a view to expanding the range of passenger transport services offered by the organisation within its catchment area. With a traditional background in children’s transport, TSS is now looking at ongoing business development through areas such as school transport, concessionary fares administration and bespoke transport as well as routine day trips as a result of TSS being granted an operator’s  licence to enable them to operate on a commercial basis.

“It’s an exciting time for TSS. Our brand-new state-of-the-art passenger transport fleet from Enterprise Flex-E-Rent will enable us to maximise future business opportunities,” Thurman said.

With more than 26,000 vehicles in its fleet, covering cars, vans, HGVs, as well as specialist temperature controlled and accessible vehicles, Enterprise Flex-E-Rent operates the widest range of commercial vehicles for rent in the UK. The fleet is now available through 21 depots across England, Scotland and Wales, enabling the company to provide customers with an unrivalled nationwide coverage.

“As a brand new customer for Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, we are very much looking forward to working closely with TSS to help support the vital service which they provide for school children in Cheshire East and develop their business. From ensuring that they receive the precise specification of vehicle to ensuring we deliver high levels of customer service which suit their requirements, we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate that we can support any commercial vehicle need,” said Danny Glynn, managing director, Enterprise Flex-E-Rent.