New vehicle workshop creates efficiency savings and lowers carbon footprint
April 2010

A new vehicle workshop facility at Norse is set to deliver considerable efficiency savings according to Transport Manager, John Mellor.

The facility, which opened on 6th April 2010, is the culmination of a six-month project to develop an existing warehouse into a state of the art workshop, capable of vehicle servicing and repairs, and meeting the latest VOSA requirements for mot testing. 

Handling Norse’s extensive inventory of commercial vehicles and cars, Mellor says the workshop will deliver efficiency savings of around 10%, the equivalent of £30,000 at current outsourced costs, a year.

“The new facility will create significant efficiency savings for Norse, as the vehicle maintenance and servicing can now be done on site,” Mellor commented. “This will reduce considerably the number of journeys made into and around the city, and the, not insignificant, amount of time spent on delivery and collection.”

The efficiency will also have a positive effect on the environment in terms of the company’s carbon reduction and savings on fuel.  The reduction in vehicle downtime will also enable Norse to reduce the number of spare pool vehicles needed in the past.

The facility is one of the first in Norfolk to be able to process all types of vehicles, from Park and Ride double deck buses and heavy goods vehicles through to small cars, over the same pit lane.

Nigel Andrews, previously in a vehicle maintenance and workshop management role with the Norse at its Aylsham depot, has been appointed Workshop Manager and will be recruiting additional staff.

“We will be taking on three workshop technicians from the previous maintenance supplier,” Andrews said, “and we have also recruited two Public Service Vehicle technicians ready for when we take over the maintenance of the Park and Ride buses.”

“We have secured agreement with specialist contractors for the passenger lifts and on board heaters to carry out annual testing on site, saving time and fuel previously involved with delivery to other workshops,” he added.

The decision by the company to operate its own workshop was in part brought about by the closure of previously outsourced workshop services, where the majority of Norse’s Norwich-based mini bus fleet had been maintained.

The workshop was designed in conjunction with MAHA UK, who also project-managed the installation.