Eight new Dennis Eagle refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) have been delivered to Belfast City Council by dealer Manvik Plant & Hire.
Four of the vehicles are Elite 6x2 rear-steer chassis with Olympus 19m3 bodies and Terberg OmniDEKA electric bin lifts. The other four are 4x2 rear-steers with Olympus 10m3 bodies – two with OmniDEKA electric bin lifts and two with EuroTRADE lifts for trade waste collections.
All the vehicles are Narrow models, to help them negotiate the tight city centre streets where they will operate.
“In the centre of Belfast, we have a lot of older streets which are tighter and can be busy and cluttered,” explained Manvik director Alan Haire.
“The Narrow vehicle is only 25cm narrower but it really makes a difference. Add to that the rear-steer feature and also the size difference of the 4x2 vehicles and these RCVs are much more manoeuvrable.
“In operational terms, that means they are quicker to complete their rounds and they also cause less of an obstruction and inconvenience to other road users.”
Belfast City Council carries out routine service and maintenance in-house but any work under the three-year warranty is carried out by Manvik who are conveniently located just two minutes away from the council depot on the Belfast Harbour Estate.
Alan believes excellent products coupled with outstanding customer support was the key to winning this order.
“We are proud of the customer support we provide and it is a vital consideration for every potential customer. Even with the best vehicles in the world, operational efficiency can take a nose-dive if they are not well supported.
“But we work very closely with Belfast City Council and have a very strong relationship. They’ve been Dennis Eagle customers for as long as anyone can remember and the fleet will be about 90% Dennis now. In fact, they’ve just placed another order for five more RCVs.”