The contractor, which was awarded the eight-year collections contract on behalf of the city council in March 2015 (see letsrecycle.com story), also carries out street cleansing services in the city.
Biffa has already taken delivery of two Mercedes Econic 1830 18 tonne refuse/recycling collection vehicles (RCVs); nine Mercedes Econic 2630 26 tonne rear steer RCVs; three DAF LF 16 tonne RCVs; 20 Ford Connect L1 vans; and 30 Ford Transit cage tippers (21 single cab, four single cab with tail lift, and five crew cab with tail lift).
Nine of the 14 Euro 6-compliant RCVs delivered to date are being prepared by Biffa engineers for a six month trial to determine the best configuration that will optimise their performance. The preferred configurations will then be specified for the 30-plus RCVs making up the rest of the order.
Three different RCV bodies, from Dennis Eagle, Faun & Heil Farid, and two bin lift systems (Terberg and Zoeller) will be evaluated to identify operational performance and costs, and supplier-related factors, Biffa says. Wear rates, warranty failures and response times will all be monitored and recorded, along with vehicle uptime and availability.
Engineers will also analyse fuel economy, the number of bin lifts made, and vehicle payload for all waste streams.
Cyclear
A further trial involves a RCV fitted with a 360° video camera and the Cyclear cycle-safety system. The trial will assess how effectively technology can help improve safety around the vehicle for both crew and other road users.
Mark Hodkinson, Biffa’s general manager for its Manchester contract, said: “We’re all working hard to get the fleet prepared for deployment on Manchester’s streets. While performing their normal duties, the larger RCVs will be providing valuable information about how they can best be used to deliver efficient and economical collection services.
“We’re also keen to get feedback on the safe cyclist system which we hope will be an important aid that gives our drivers greater visibility of all road users, particularly cyclists, at all times.”
Biffa’s contract with Manchester involves the collection of more than 150,000 tonnes of waste per year from the city’s households.
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