Council plots vehicle tracking plan

Sunderland to encourage efficiency and flexible working

council tracks vehicles using GPS

Sunderland City Council is to install vehicle tracking technology in its maintenance vehicles to improve efficiency and encourage more flexible working.

The community and cultural services team that maintains council properties recently leased a new fleet to carry materials and tools. Vehicle tracking technology will allow the council to schedule jobs according to the location of the nearest worker, cutting petrol use, saving time and improving efficiency.

‘Vehicles are currently directed by mobile phone and a list of drivers with little regard for their location, which is time-consuming and inefficient,’ said a council spokesman. ‘With vehicle tracking we could also identify the speed and direction of a vehicle and maintain activity records that could be reviewed in the event of an accident.’

The council is looking to procure a web-based system to manage the 160 vehicles in the community and cultural services department, which could be extended to other divisions if successful.

There has been a big reduction in the cost of vehicle tracking technology, making it more attractive to local councils, says Gartner analyst Mike Williams. ‘It will allow the council to plan, allocate and use its vehicles much better,’ he said.