London Evening Standard
Page 17
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LONDON EVENING Standard has applied to base 35 vehicles and one trailer at its new distribution facility in Boord Street, Greenwich.
It is also looking to remove from its 0-licence its Harmsworth Quays operating centre in Surrey Quays Road, London.
In 2009, the newspaper decided to scrap its previous in-house distribution operation, using a large fleet of Sprinter vans, for cost reasons. Over the past four years copies of the
Standard have been distributed by rented trucks shared with other titles, notably the Metro.
No prompted by the move to its new distribution centre, the free evening newspaper has taken the decision to bring the operation in-house again. It has acquired a new fleet of 33 Fuso Canter trucks from dealer Rygor's Heathrow site to be based at the Greenwich facility.
They will collect newspapers from the firm's printing facility in Broxboume, Hertfordshire, then distribute them to retailers and news stands.
The Canters will be maintained under a CharterWay contract hire agreement from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, by South London agent SG Smith.
Tim Freeman, head of distribution at the Evening Standard, said: "The Canter's turning circle and outstanding manoeuvrability are big plus points in central London.
"But payload is even more important, as we strive for maximum efficiency to contain fuel costs and minimise our carbon footprint."