• Non-standard
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Purchasing policy has also changed. Previously, the fleet was heavily standardised on Bedford. Ashmore has not been affraid of going his own way, however. Here, he parts company with the Audit Commission report — which he describes as "brilliant", but which recommends standardisation. "We buy what's best for us" he says simply.
Like any private operator, West Sussex TMO will exert pressure on one manufacturer by switching to another. The fleet is still predominantly Bedford, but there has been an influx of Ford Cargc chassis too and the waste disposal vehicles are Volvo F7s. Also, Talbot Express chassis are now to be found among the large fleet of vans and welfare minibuses where the Transit once held a monopoly.
Another break with municipal practice is that West Sussex will buy secondhand. "If you can buy at a lower cost you can justify