Mitsubishi keeps Britain’s motorists moving

The Highways Agency’s Traffic Officers started work in spring 2004 in the West Midlands and then nationally in England in 2005. The Highways Agency’s aim is to keep traffic moving and help make journeys on its network as safe and as reliable as possible. Traffic Officers facilitate this by helping to coordinate the emergency services at incidents, manage traffic and reopen roads as soon as it is safe to do so. Traffic Officer vehicles have become a familiar sight, sporting their distinctive black and yellow Battenberg decals and low-profile light bars.

Britain’s Motorways carry 200,000 vehicles per day and are kept moving by approximately 1,000 on road staff and a 195 vehicle fleet that includes some 78 Mitsubishis.

Indeed, Mitsubishi was one of the first manufacturers to supply the Highways Agency with 4x4 vehicles that lead a punishing life. They operate on a 24/7 basis, and clock up around 100,000 miles per annum. They have to be tough too, spending much of their time on the motorway network, patrolling and operating on both the live lanes and the hard shoulder. Their deployment to help stranded drivers, abandoned vehicles and provide assistance at the scene of major incidents puts the vehicles to the test every day.

The Highways Agency fleet currently has a total of 66 Shoguns patrolling its designated road network with 12 Grandis MPVs being used by Team Managers.

The Mitsubishi Shogun meets all of the Highways Agency's rigorous demands with 4x4 capability allowing the vehicles to operate in all road and weather conditions, a large payload, and the required towing capability.

Andy Daws, Team Leader for the Traffic Officer Vehicles Team at the Highways Agency, affirmed their vehicle choice, based on real-life experience, stating that "Since 2004 we have come to acknowledge the reliability of Mitsubishi and the after sales support... we reviewed our fleet provision in 2006 with Mitsubishi remaining an important supplier. We constantly review issues of reliability, after sales support, and running costs to ensure that we achieve best value in the most efficient way possible. Mitsubishi has proved to be reliable in every area – from their products to the way they support us in our key operations.”

The vehicles are supplied on a Contract Hire + Maintenance basis by Lloyds TSB Autolease who have working with the Highways Agency to source the vehicles and required services.