Two historic Staffordshire towns are set to benefit from the latest street-cleaning technology with the arrival of a new fleet of Hako sweepers.
East Staffordshire Borough Council has taken delivery of four Citymaster 1600 machines from Gullivers Truck Hire Ltd that will help keep the area’s streets, car parks and pedestrian areas looking spick and span.
Two of the machines will be based in Burton and one in Uttoxeter, whilst the fourth will be used in surrounding villages and other rural areas, and the latest contract with Gullivers and Hako will strengthen a direct relationship stretching back nearly a decade.
Dennis Nye, Street Cleansing Supervisor at East Staffordshire Borough Council, explained: “We’ve operated Hako machines for a number of years, and we’ve always been impressed by their reliability and flexibility.
“The new Citymasters will be required to operate in some narrow, historic terraced streets, as well as more open areas, so we needed machines that are easy to manoeuvre.
“We also operate seven days per week, with two shifts on weekdays, so we need machines that we can rely on and are easy to maintain.”
The new Citymasters have been supplied to the council following a successful tender by municipal vehicle leasing company Gullivers, and come equipped with a quick-change attachment system. This allows for the easy fitting of attachments such as a snow plough, should the vehicles be needed for winter maintenance.
With a total weight of 3.5t the 1600 can be operated by holders of a Class B driving licence and, thanks to an articulated, full-suspension chassis, it is one of the most versatile models in Hako’s Citymaster range. Permanent all-wheel drive and a travel speed of up to 40kph also make it suitable for a wide range of urban and rural outdoor cleaning applications.
Martin Jones, Hako Municipal Sales Executive, commented: “We’re delighted that our acclaimed Citymaster 1600s have been so well received here in East Staffordshire and look forward to forging an even stronger relationship with the council.
“Together with Gullivers we will continue to work with the local authority to ensure a cost-effective and reliable solution to their street cleaning requirements.”
On delivery of the new machines, Martin handed over the keys to Cllr Patricia Ackroyd, Deputy Leader for Environment at the council, who added: “This represents a major investment by the Council to ensure that our residents continue to receive a first-rate waste collection and street cleaning service.
“We have chosen to work with a local supplier and look forward to using these cleaner vehicles and appreciating the full benefits of the additional safety equipment.
“There will be no impact on our performance during the transition and our residents will not experience any gaps in the delivery of these key front-line services.”