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After an extensive tender process by The Procurement Partnership, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council has added eight Swingos from Aebi Schmidt to its street cleaning vehicle fleet. The compact sweeper scored top marks following an extensive and highly efficient tender process.

Aebi Schmidt went out to tender via the TPPL’s Hertfordshire County Council Purchase Framework Agreement and had expressions of interest from four sweeper manufacturers.

Models from all four were then thoroughly tested and evaluated for their suitability, using a team of three drivers to test drive the sweepers and three mechanics to look at all mechanical and working aspects of the sweepers.

From that analysis, Dudley Council drew up a specification for the machine they would require, and through the TPPL portal, went back to the four manufacturers for quotes, ranking their response against five criteria: price competitiveness, aftersales service, warranty, delivery, and social value.

The new Swingos are now in full operation seven days a week in the region, with eight-hour shifts on weekdays and five-hour shifts at the weekend. To tackle the whole area, the Borough is split into three: primary retail centres, smaller retail centres and residential estates, with the first two, cleaned every day starting at 6.00 am, and the residential estates on five days a week.

‘Feedback from the drivers has been very positive, and they like the fact that the Swingos are more comfortable, more flexible and more manoeuvrable than the machines they were using before. They are ideal for cleaning in awkward tight areas where they had not been able to reach before,’ said Simon. He has seven footway drivers and five-channel drivers on his street cleaning workforce.

Read the full article in Fleet Vision International Magazine