Central Bedfordshire Council is the unitary authority council which provides services to a quarter of a million people.

A clear difference in performance

Central Bedfordshire Council has been keen to reduce risk in their vehicles as they frequently carry other passengers, in particular children and the elderly. Therefore, safety is paramount for them and they have adopted Lightfoot in order to improve this, whilst also looking to reduce harmful emissions and fuel costs.

Arthi Appathurai, a Fleet Services Manager at Central Bedfordshire Council, is a strong advocate of the Lightfoot technology. After doing research into systems that would help with driver training and behaviour, she discovered Lightfoot and began to actively champion it within the council. She worked with management to prepare a consultation paper which played a key role in ensuring the council adopted Lightfoot. As a result of installing Lightfoot across their fleet, the council have been experiencing significant benefits which has created better drivers and improved safety.

Central Bedfordshire Council's Fleet Services Manager, Arthi Appathurai, said:

“We have seen a clear difference in performance of our fleets since installing Lightfoot. Central Bedfordshire Council have seen some incredible benefits such as reduced fuel costs, drops in emissions and improved safety. Lightfoot has also helped management understand how to further improve performance as a result of the weekly reports and updates we receive”

Lightfoot’s ability to improve driving standards

Central Bedfordshire Council began by analysing driver behaviour without Lightfoot operating (blind period), and compared this to a live trial during which Lightfoot’s real-time audio and visual in-cab driver feedback guided drivers to consistently hit the ‘sweet spot’ of their vehicles’ engines. Between the blind and live periods, the fleet’s overall Lightfoot score (which is calculated using the frequency of incidents of high risk driving) improved from 52% to over 97%, which demonstrates Lightfoot’s ability to improve driving standards.

Lightfoot has not only improved the driving safety standards of the council, ensuring that both their drivers and passengers are safe, but it has also had a significant impact on fuel consumption. The council has experienced a reduction in fuel expenditure of 6.1%, which creates huge annual savings for the fleet. As a result of this improved fuel efficiency, their fleet of vehicles has also improved its carbon footprint.

Proven benefits have positive impact

Central Bedfordshire Council's Fleet Services Manager, Arthi Appathurai, added:

“Since going live, our driver penalties have dropped by 100% and we have also experienced reductions in fuel costs and improved overall safety. As many of our vehicles are used to transport passengers, safety is key, and Lightfoot has given us exactly the benefits we are looking for. These proven benefits have positively impacted our fleet, helping to empower drivers, improve safety and reduce fuel costs”

There are a range of positive effects that Lightfoot has provided to Central Bedfordshire Council, such as improvements in safety, reductions in fuel costs and improved driver motivation. By adopting Lightfoot, Central Bedfordshire Council have managed create safer roads, reduce their carbon footprint and save a significant amount of money - all while empowering and encouraging drivers to be the best they can be.