Pictured: (l-r) Ready for inspection: John Shoer, National
Mobile Windscreens Branch Manager, Carly Weston, Vehicle Glass
Repair Technician and Kevin Jones, Operational Support Engineer
with the Amey staff's vehicles
Transport operators are so concerned about ensuring that their
vehicles are ready for extreme winter weather that they are also
including their staff's personal vehicles in windscreen safety
checks, according to National Mobile Windscreens
Amey, who has depots in Birmingham, is the latest operator to
invite National Mobile Windscreens' experts to check their staff's
vehicles for vehicle glass defects.
Amey is responsible for improving and maintaining Birmingham
Highways infrastructure, including 2,500km of road network, nearly
100,000 street lights, as well as over 850 highway structures and
bridges across the city, in partnership with Birmingham City
Council.
More than 150 staff cars were examined by the National Mobile
Windscreens team from the Birmingham branch at Phoenix Park, Avenue
Road in Aston.
"Generally we find that around one fifth of the vehicles that we
examine require either glass replacement or repair," said Martyn
Bennett, Sales and Marketing Director.
"In this case, the figure was considerably lower and only a few
staff cars needed attention," he said.
"But this figure can be higher for private motorists who may be
finding it difficult to keep pace with the risking cost of
motoring, or the smaller fleet operators struggling to stay
competitive.
"Many of the defects we have found require immediate attention,
while many other can lead to a glass failure if repairs or
replacement are delayed much longer."
National Mobile Windscreens say that some fleet operators may be
reluctant to spend time carrying out general safety inspections on
their vehicles, or may be postponing any repair work because of
their demanding work schedules.
"We included our staff cars in the safety check because we
believe that it is important to identify any vehicle glass defect
and to delay any repair or replacement is a false economy, said
Amey Transport Manager, Tony Mathews.
"A damaged windscreen can fail at any time and our staff knows
that it is better to have the work carried out when it is
convenient rather than as a last-minute emergency," he said.
National Mobile Windscreens can undertake vehicle checks on-site
and undertake repairs or glass replacement when it is most
convenient to minimise disruption to delivery schedules.
National Mobile Windscreens say that fleet operators who need
advice on their vehicle glass can call them on 0800-373-171.
Private motorists and van drivers are welcome to contact their
local branch to make an appointment if they need any advice.