Angela Coaches has hailed the benefits of Wheely-Safe technology after the cloud-connected system spared the public transport operator a costly breakdown.
Angela Coaches Avoids Costly Breakdown
The Southampton-based company has Wheely-Safe Connect fitted to its Beulas VDL 44-seat coach, which it uses for various tours across Europe.
The latest generation wheel loss detection, brake and hub temperature monitoring, and intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) allow upgraded Wheely-Safe sensors to feed data not just to the driver in the cab but also to the transport team back at base.
Robert Pressley, Managing Director of Angela Coaches, says, “We’ve been trialling the system on our touring coach since last summer, and it’s been very impressive. It allows us to stay on top of the pressures in the tyres and alert the driver quickly if there’s a problem.
“Recently, we had a tour group in France, and an underinflated inner tyre was flagged by the sensors. Our workshop manager was able to let the driver know, who then pulled up safely, checked the tyre and resolved the problem. Left unchecked, we’d have been looking at a flat tyre and a coach full of passengers pulled up on the side of the road. That would have been a huge inconvenience to our customers and an expensive call out to get the coach back on the road.”
Wheely-Safe Systems with Driver Alerts
Angela Coaches also has two standalone Wheely-Safe systems, with driver alerts, fitted to smaller midi coaches, with a view to rolling out the technology across more of its fleet in the coming months. The move to install Wheely-Safe technology came after the business experienced the impact a wheel-loss incident can have first-hand.
“A couple of years ago, a wheel came off one of our coaches, and that’s something we never want to happen again,” adds Pressley. “The Wheely-Safe system gives us peace of mind that we’ll know about any issues before it’s too late.
“Safety is always the number one priority for a passenger transport company, but this technology also brings added benefits such as improving fuel consumption and reducing any tyre-related downtime. It really pays for itself.”
