South Wales Police Force is saving £45,000 a year on fleet maintenance and has drastically cut its vehicle downtime thanks to the use of green parts supplied by SYNETIQ.

The adoption of the ‘green’ policy’ has given the force a welcome cash boost, and also helped it to maximise operational capabilities for its fleet of patrol vehicles.

As a major client of MyGreenFleet since 2017, the use of green parts has become the mainstay of South Wales Police Force’s maintenance strategy.

The use of green vehicle parts supplied by MyGreenFleet – a  supply portal operated  by SYNETIQ, the largest salvage and vehicle recycling  company in the UK – has also reduced the environmental impact of its fleet of more than 1,200 vehicles. South Wales Police no longer rely on new, manufactured replacement parts and body panels that have a higher carbon footprint than green parts.

Because it is often quicker to use green parts, the force was also able to cut the amount of time its vehicles were off the road because delivery times are much quicker than those of new parts.

As the largest police force in Wales, which serves an area of 1,250 square miles via a fleet of 850 dedicated police vehicles, South Wales Police has a clear need to maintain the frontline availability of these vehicles for its officers and keep the downtime to a minimum.

Before the introduction of SYNETIQ MyGreenFleet to the force, a lack of rapidly available parts would sometimes see parts temporarily harvested from vehicles to keep other vehicles on the road. Now, thanks to the availability of next-day-delivery green parts, that is no longer necessary – vehicles are back on the road quickly, allowing officers to continue serving the population of South Wales.

The data generated by the MyGreenFleet portal is used by SYNETIQ to identify the most common replacement parts, so MyGreenFleet can ensure good availability all year round.

With the immediate supply of popular items such as door mirrors, replacements can be delivered within 24 hours, and vehicles can return to frontline use.

More complex parts such as whole replacement engines or gearboxes, that are traditionally harder to source, are also available with rapid delivery times via the SYNETIQ MyGreenFleet portal.

Denzil Calford, Workshop Manager for South Wales Police, said: “MyGreenFleet has given the South Wales Police Force a huge boost. The great price point of green parts and the quick turnaround of everyday items is brilliant, but the consistently quick supply of parts as specific as engines is even better. “

“With as little as three days turnaround for such items, it means I can order on a Monday, begin repairs on a Wednesday and have a vehicle back on the road by Friday. It’s fair to say that MyGreenFleet has become a crucial part of maintaining the police force.”

Calford added: “Had it not been for the Client Relationship Director, Jason’s enthusiasm in  explaining the benefits of going Green, SWP Fleet Strategy might not have adopted the policy, and would now be behind on achieving a Zero Carbon workshop facility”

Jason Cross, Client Relationship Director for SYNETIQ said “It’s great to know that the South Wales Police force continues to by happy with the cost savings and reduced off road time that our working relationship enables. We pride ourselves on providing great value and service to our clients, and we can sleep well at night knowing we will only supply high quality, non-safety critical OE parts that can be traced back to the donor vehicle. Denzil and the team can trust that all parts come with a certificate of conformity to meet the needs of BSI10125.

Up to 1,200 vehicles are within South Wales Police’s care at any one time, thanks to 850 police vehicles and a further 400 local authority vehicles. With an internal depreciation charge of £100 a day applied to any vehicle which is off-road awaiting repairs, the use of the SYNETIQ MyGreenFleet platform has ensured that the entire fleet continues to operate efficiently as possible – both for the officers on the force and also for the public purse.

Calford concluded: “SYNETIQ MyGreenFleet has always delivered clear benefits to South Wales Police, and it continues to do so. Initially, we signed up for a 12-month trial but three years later, we are still here and remain a satisfied client. With the help of MyGreenFleet, we are well on our way to achieving carbon neutrality and, as we continue to roll out our use of green parts, this can only improve.”