SsangYong Motors UK has been awarded a contract to supply 32 vehicles to Highways England, to be deployed initially in Highways England areas in the north west (area 10), the south east (area 3) and the midlands (area 9).
To improve the maintenance and operation of England’s motorways and major A-roads, Highways England has recently brought responsibility for asset inventory and operational decision making in-house, thus directly managing routine maintenance and the delivery of capital renewal and improvement schemes, rather than contracting the responsibility to a third party.
The government-owned company aims to roll-out this strategic plan more widely. To help with the operation, 32 Highways England SsangYong Musso have been specifically modified by Babcock International, based in Walsall, near Birmingham. The modified Musso’s are fitted with hi-vis orange and yellow livery, 360-degree lighting including a roof mounted lightbar, and are compliant with “R65 Lighting & Chapter 8[1]” legislation.
The award winning Musso has 4×4 capability, allowing the vehicles to operate in all road and weather conditions, a large payload, and the required towing capability. The SsangYong Musso is the ultimate in cost-effective versatility, comfort and ability.
Nick Laird, managing director of SsangYong Motors UK, said: “We are delighted to supply 32 vehicles to Highways England – it is a huge achievement for SsangYong to be recognised for its cost-effective, versatile and reliable products, especially from such a high profile and credible organisation.” He continued; “Our business introduced a fleet strategy 12-months ago with a focus on public sector, utilities and operational fleets – it’s an area which, with our product line-up and company structure, we can compete successfully, offer flexibility, and really add value.” Nick concluded: “This is the start of a great working relationship with Highways England.”
Highways England strives to be a world class highways company, providing a strategic road network that supports economic growth, whilst delivering public value for money and a consistently positive experience for road users.
The Highways England / SsangYong partnership was borne from SsangYong’s success as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) vehicle purchase framework, which offers numerous government agencies including UK fire services, ambulance trusts and police forces SsangYong vehicles.
Nick Harris, the executive director of operations at Highways England, said; “This contract will help us maintain our network and provide a good service to road users, contributing to our key imperatives of safety, customer service, and delivery. It is important that vehicles we use are cost-effective, reliable and versatile – the SsangYong Musso will be a valuable addition to our fleet.”
