Fleet operators urged to use eco-friendly driving techniques

..to slash fuel costs, carbon emissions



Caption:    The region’s first eco-friendly training programme which offers significant cost savings for fleet managers at Commercial Vehicles Middle East.


Region’s first eco-friendly training programme for drivers to be launched at Commercial Vehicles Middle East



Bus companies, taxi firms and other commercial vehicle fleet operators can slash fuel costs and CO2 emissions if drivers learn eco-friendly techniques in a new training programme being introduced in the Middle East, its creators say.


Dubai based Dynamic Technical Training points to hard acceleration followed by hard braking, mostly in traffic conditions, as among the biggest contributors to fuel wastage, but says special instruction for drivers can quickly overcome these problems.


Drivers can maximise the gear box usage by driving at 15km/hr in second gear at 1,000 revs per minute instead of driving at 15km/hr in first gear at 1,800 revs per minute.


The automotive service provider, DTT, will launch the region’s first eco-friendly training programme designed for professional drivers of large heavy goods vehicles at the Commercial Vehicles Middle East exhibition and conference taking place in Dubai from 6-8 March.


“The Driving ECO2  programme teaches drivers how to adopt an eco-friendly approach which reduces CO2 emissions and fuel consumption,” said Nicolas Gondard, Business Development Manager of Dynamic Technical Training. 


“Results in Europe illustrate that a small to medium enterprise operating 100 vehicles saved AED115, 584 in annual fuel costs after the training, representing 153,216kg less of CO2 emissions released in the atmosphere.”


“A larger fleet operator, such as a taxi firm operating 1,200 vehicles, would save AED4,458,240 per year on fuel, with an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 5,909,760kg.”


The effects on fuel costs, and the environment, are even more significant if applied to organisations like Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority which currently operates 7,942 taxis.


Environmental concerns in the Middle East were highlighted by a 2010 report from market research specialists Maplecroft which placed the UAE and Saudi Arabia alongside Australia, the USA, Canada, and Netherlands as the six nations with the worst performance in relation to CO2 pollution.


Fleet managers will have a chance to try out the Driving ECO2  programme on demo vehicles at Commercial Vehicles Middle East to gain an understanding of how it can positively impact their businesses and economic bottom line.


“The DRIVING ECO2  programme is based on facts and data derived from the vehicle itself rather than the instructor’s perceptions,” said Alexandria Robinson, Project Manager, Commercial Vehicles Middle East. “The demonstrations will benefit fleet managers in particular, and will help them adopt cost effective, eco friendly options in the future.” 


Organised by Streamline Marketing Group and taking place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event features the only industry-specific exhibition that covers all types of heavy and light commercial vehicles, special vehicles, vehicle attachments, accessories, and maintenance and repair services.


The third edition of the event also contains the two-day Commercial Vehicles Middle East Conference, presenting case studies on fleet management systems to transform performance, increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs of heavy and light commercial vehicle fleets.


The event has established the UAE as a regional focal point for the commercial vehicles industry, and major exhibitors include title sponsor Mercedes Benz, telematics sponsor Trinetra Wireless, Gold sponsor Shell, along with AW Rostamani, Michelin, IVECO, Daimler Middle East, and Emirates Transport.




About Streamline Marketing Group

Streamline Marketing Group www.smg-online.com is a Dubai-based event management and marketing specialist with expertise in the turn-key management of exhibitions and conferences, and other international marketing and promotional projects.


Other events organised by the Group are World Green Tourism, taking place from 5-7 December 2011 in Abu Dhabi and Global Aerospace Summit, from 16-19 April 2012, also in Abu Dhabi. Further information on automotive services by DTT is available on the website www.dtt.ae.




Sharrah Kapadia, Total Communications Dubai - also photos