Summary
Royal Parks is committed to using LPG fuels whenever it can and we have enabled it to go 'green' without compromising its choice of vehicle, converting 78 per cent of its fleet to LPG.

About Royal Parks
The Royal Parks Agency manages one of the UK's major cultural and tourist attractions - the 5,000 acres that make up London's historic parkland. This includes many of London's most notable landmarks - Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park, Richmond Park and St James' Park. The Agency requires a variety of vehicles to management such vast and widespread areas of land.

The Business Challenge
Royal Parks have three key objectives for its fleet:

" Reflects its commitment to green policies - Royal Parks has achieved ISO 14001 accreditation and maintaining its strong environmental track record is a top business priority.

" Reduced vehicle downtime - with 5,000 acres in eight different locations, the vehicles need to be serviced and maintained with minimal downtime.

" Improved vehicle efficiency -The 270 + Royal Parks' staff require a diverse range of vehicles to help them carry out day-to-day tasks. Many of the vehicles include specialist equipment for the job - with 5,000 acres spread over 8 locations, it is important that the vehicles are correctly designed to do their job efficiently and be cost effective.

 "Within Royal Parks there is a strong emphasis on adopting environmentally friendly initiatives and wherever possible, it specifies LPG fuels," says Richard Dyke, key accounts manager at Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services.

"This has always been an important option and one we have been quick to recognise and respond to. We have converted as many vehicles as possible to LPG and backed this up with a cost -effective maintenance and repair contract."

How we helped

Reviewed our supplier network to identify specialist suppliers:
78% of vehicles have been converted to LPG, despite the fact that for many vehicles, LPG conversion was not offered as a manufacturers' option. Working closely with Royal Parks, Richard identified, tested and appointed a specialist supplier to carry out bespoke LPG conversions, which means Royal Parks can switch to LPG within its original choice of vehicle.

Applied our expertise to improve the specification of specialist vehicles:
Royal Parks are responsible for the management of the herds of deer that populate two of the parks. The gamekeepers have specific requirements for their vehicles to enable them to manage the deer population - understanding the job they do has allowed us to refine the specification and design of the vehicles. These changes make them more efficient on site, reduce vehicle maintenance and turnaround time.

Created bespoke invoicing:
Whether by location, cost centre or calendar month, we have been able to accommodate specific requirements for rental and maintenance invoicing, allowing Royal Parks to plan and budget ahead with confidence. This is supported by the provision of detailed reporting and management information that means Royal Parks has a very clear idea as to its fleet costs.
  
Provided a full accident management service:
From claim management, recovery and repair of the vehicle and provision of a replacement vehicle, our accident management service keeps Royal Parks staff mobile.

Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services retained the Royal Parks business for a further five years after being appointed once again, following a review in 2006.

What our customer says
"We have grown accustomed to a very high service level from Hitachi Capital," says Bob Worthylake, Royal Parks' fleet manager. "Hitachi Capital has completely got to grips with what we do here and ensures the vehicles we have are the right specifications for the job they are expected to do.

 "Knowing our fleet costs for the next five years allows us to organise the remainder of our budget far more effectively. We adjust our budget from time to time but by and large, we can plan ahead with accuracy and confidence."

Our People Working With Your People
Driving Your Fleet Costs Down
Making sure the vehicles are correctly specified for the job they do
Minimising Your Downtime
Using local and specialist suppliers to reduce off road time
Synchronising service, inspection and maintenance events
Minimising Your Compliance risk
Creating bespoke service, inspection and maintenance regimes for vehicles
Supporting Your Business
Achieving ISO 14001accreditation through conversion to LPG 
Coordinating multiple suppliers within an effective vehicle build programme
Getting the best value from the fleet budget