First Bus is to install ground-breaking GPS technology across its entire UK fleet, in a bid to improve driver behaviour and reduce carbon emissions.
The bus operator will roll out the DriveGreen scheme following successful trials on 1,000 buses in London, Bradford and Glasgow.
Buses are filled with the latest GPS technology which can detect dozens of driving movements each minute, and immediately informs drivers about their performance.
A traffic light LED monitor on vehicle dashboards flashes green if the driver is driving correctly, or amber or red following an unwanted driving manoeuvre, such as heavy braking or excessive acceleration.
Divers are able to view the overall quality of their drive on a dedicated Internet page. A score is allocated to each driving session, allowing them the opportunity to monitor and improve their own driving.
The trial run saw a 70% decrease in the number of unnecessary driving manoeuvres carried out by drivers. This, in turn, has led to each driver using around 500l less fuel a year, equating to 1.2t less CO2.
First now plans to roll out the technology to its entire fleet of 9,000 buses across the UK by the middle of 2010. Within three years, it is estimated that First buses will produce 130,000 less tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of removing 24,000 cars off the roads.
Nicola Shaw, director for First Bus in the UK, Ireland and Germany, said: ‘The great thing about this project is that our drivers are the ones who can make a significant difference and they are real ‘green’ champions. By changing their driving habits by just a small fraction, then the gains in terms of environmental efficiency are huge, as well as in areas such as the cost of fuel to the business – which means we can keep bus fares down – and the safety and comfort of our passengers.’
She said First had provided a £2M reward pot for drivers who achieved and maintained the highest standards of driving.
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