Water company finds fleet solutions with Volkswagen Vans

One of the country’s top performing water companies, South Staffordshire Water Plc, has found solutions to its diverse fleet requirements in three models from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles range. Implementing a programme to increase the size of its fleet and replace ageing Citroën and Astra vans, South Staffordshire Water bought 70 Volkswagens in 2006, a mix of Caddys, Transporters and Crafters.

‘Reliability and flexibility are essential in providing a 24/7 all year round service to our customers,’ said Bob Stokes, Head of Fleet Services for South Staffordshire Water. ‘Over the years we have found the Volkswagen fleet to be consistently reliable and a huge hit with our drivers. They out-perform all other manufacturers in our Group. What’s more, calculating the whole-life costs of the vans, the Volkswagen line-up gives us best value for money. To put it simply, Volkswagen makes my life easier.’

South Staffordshire Water prefers the Caddy van for its leakage inspectors and metre reading teams, opting for the model with the 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine offering 104 PS. This powerful and fuel-efficient compact van also boasts an impressive array of standard safety features including ABS, Traction Control System (TCS) and Engine Braking Control (EBC), which prevents the driving wheels braking away on slippery surfaces when the foot is removed from the accelerator or re-engaging the clutch.

The Volkswagen Transporter offers the water company the power, performance and modern image required by its customer liaison officers. For this role the company chose the Transporter panel van equipped with a five-cylinder 2.5-litre diesel engine with 130 PS. Customer liaison officers travel around 18,000 miles every year, so the van’s reputation for economy and reliability were also major factors in the decision to purchase this particular model. Additionally, ten Transporters with the 4MOTION four-wheel drive system are used by South Staffordshire Water in more rural areas. The innovative Transporter 4MOTION reacts to even the slightest wheel slip, distributing power and drive to the wheels with the most grip in a fraction of a second.

Currently South Staffordshire Water’s maintenance and underground survey teams drive Volkswagen LTs. But with the company’s water cooler division having taken delivery of four Volkswagen Crafters – the LT’s replacement – the East Midlands Volkswagen Van Centre in Nottingham, fleet supplier to South Staffordshire Water, is optimistic that when the LTs reach the end of their working life, the water company will see the Crafter as the natural successor.

South Staffordshire Water serves 1.25 million people over an area of nearly 1,500 sq km, and every year since 1999 has achieved an Ofwat top three ranking for its overall performance.

For further information on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ visit volkswagen-vans.co.uk.