GO-AHEAD SELECTS MICHELIN IN MAJOR BUS AND COACH FLEET TYRE DEAL
Stoke-on-Trent – March 11, 2013
One of the UK’s largest bus and coach operators, Go-Ahead has extended its Michelin contract for three years following a competitive tender for its bus and coach tyre business.
The pence-per-mile (PPM) deal strengthens Michelin's 25-year relationship with Go-Ahead Group, and means Michelin will remain the tyre of choice for nearly 4,500 of the company’s buses and coaches across the UK – the overwhelming majority of Go-Ahead’s fleet.
Go-Ahead will use Michelin X InCity tyres across its single and double-deck buses, which account for the majority of the fleet and are focused on operations in high density urban areas and along commuter growth corridors. Its 100 coaches will be shod with Michelin’s latest X MultiWay 3D tyres.
Phil Margrave, Go-Ahead’s Group Engineering Director, says it is Michelin’s superior tyre performance and overall service levels which make the manufacturer the perfect partner for Go-Ahead.
He explains: “We’ve worked with Michelin for many years and if we were basing our tyre policy solely on product quality then we would opt for Michelin every time. Michelin doesn’t just stop at supplying us with tyres, but goes even further to provide a total mobility solution. Their resident fitters are available on-site in our bus garages and work alongside our own technicians – the service support system Michelin has in place suits our business perfectly.”
Michelin’s team of expert fitters will continue to work in-house at Go-Ahead’s 40 depots as part of the extended contract, with ATS Euromaster’s nationwide roadside rapid response service available should the company need tyre assistance out on the road.
Margrave adds: “With an increasing number of 24-hour routes being implemented in city centres, our buses need to have minimum downtime and our tyres must be as durable as possible. Michelin tyres offer us the longevity and robustness that we need.”
Many of Go-Ahead’s London buses are in operation 17 hours a day and can travel up to 200 miles daily, averaging 13 stops per mile, so long-lasting and resilient tyres with strong sidewalls to protect against kerbing are essential. The rubber compound used in the Michelin X InCity range is particularly resistant to stop and start driving and increases mileage performance by up to 15 per cent as well as offering up to 18 per cent more traction in urban driving conditions compared with the previous generation Michelin XZU+.
The X MultiWay 3D gets its name from its three-dimensional tread sipes which generate grip in difficult climatic conditions, providing outstanding safety and mobility for the company’s regional coaches, even in the event of adverse weather conditions.
Go-Ahead, which became an independent company in 1986, takes full advantage of Michelin’s Four Lives policy to ensure multiple lives from every new Michelin casing which enters its fleet.
Amongst the Go-Ahead fleets fitting Michelin tyres are Go-Ahead London, Go North East, Go South Coast, Metrobus, Brighton & Hove, Oxford Bus Company and Plymouth Citybus.
ends
Michelin (www.michelin.co.uk)
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tyres for every type of vehicle, including aircraft, bicycles, cars, earthmoving machines, farm equipment, trucks and motorcycles. Michelin employs 115,000 people, has sales organisations in more than 170 countries and operates 69 production sites in 18 countries throughout five continents. The Company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases and offers electronic mobility support services on ViaMichelin.com. Research and development is undertaken in technology centres in Asia, Europe and North America.
For further press information please contact:
Paul Cordle, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341
Email: paul-m.cordle@uk.michelin.com
James Keeler, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 Fax: +44 (0)20 8544 4711 E-mail: james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
MICHT/123/13
Tags:
