Competitive testing puts Citroen first with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough council

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has now purchased it first Citroens - 35 Dispatch and Relay vans - to replace the majority of its light commercials. The new Citroens, which not only meet the Borough Council’s operational and financial parameters but are also the preferred choice of its staff, have been bought after an extensive comparative testing programme involving a number of different manufacturers.

Supplied by Citroen Birmingham, the four Dispatch 815 1.9D vans and 31 Relay 1800 vans will form part of the Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council owned fleet of 91 vehicles and wheeled plant. During their five year life with the Borough Council the Citroens will each cover some 60,000 miles, and will be maintained in Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s own workshops.

The 31 Relays bought by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council are all 1800 3.5 tonne gvw models powered by 2.2HDi engines. In addition to long wheelbase Relay vans the order also includes Relay tipper and dropside bodied chassis cabs and chassis crew cabs. The Relays are allocated widely throughout the Borough Council’s operating divisions, including building, cleansing, maintenance and parks department duties. The Dispatch vans will be used for security work, dog warden duties and by an emergency response plumbing team.

George Harvey, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s transport engineer explains, "The Borough Council is fully committed to best value procedures. Prior to specifying Citroens we carried out extensive competitive testing to select vehicles which provided the optimum combination of best value and suitability for purpose. Citroen was able to provide vehicles which met all our financial and operational requirements."