Global consultancy Aecom has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) to manage its Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) for the next five years.
Under the agreement Aecom will expand the accreditation scheme, which is aimed at improving vehicle safety and environmental performance, across the whole of the UK.
The voluntary scheme, which has accredited more than 210,000 vehicles since it was established in 2008, is currently only available to companies that operate fleets, including vans, lorries, mini-buses and coaches, in the Greater London area.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has helped to deliver cleaner and safer freight fleets in the capital and with it now set to roll out nationwide this is great news for road users up and down the country.”
Aecom will manage and develop FORS with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), undertaking promotion, marketing and governance, while Fleet Source – a company that offers fleet operators auditing, training and compliance services – will be responsible for the accreditation audits themselves and training.
“The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has helped to deliver cleaner and safer freight fleets in the capital and with it now set to roll out nationwide this is great news for road users up and down the country.”
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
Richard Robinson, chief executive, civil & infrastructure for Europe, Middle East and Africa, at Aecom, said: “As a company committed to improving safety in transport, we are delighted to deliver such an important scheme. Through its standards, accreditation and promotion of good practice, FORS has contributed to safer, greener and more-efficient road fleet operations in London, and we look forward to growing the scheme outside the capital.
“Today’s contract award builds on our ongoing work in construction logistics and cycle safety, cementing Aecom’s strategy in the UK to design, build, finance and operate major schemes for our clients.”
Aecom already manages the Construction Logistics and Cycle Safety (CLOCS), a project to develop a common set of national standards for the industry to protect cyclists and other vulnerable road users for TfL.
Growth of the CLOCS Manager online collision-reporting tool has been steadily rising since its official launch in September 2014, with 46 companies now signed up and using the system – 10 signed up in the last month (January 2015).
