Cutting Edge

A brand new fleet of state-of-the-art grass cutting equipment will cover a massive 55 million square metres this summer.

Over £500,000 was invested in new ground maintenance equipment in January to keep the city’s parks neat, verges tidy and wildflower meadows at their best.

Ride on mowers with flail decks especially designed for wildflower meadows are among the new fleet, as are Samurai grass cutters that are capable of cutting some of Plymouth’s sloping banks with a better quality of cut.

These ride-ons use a powerful and efficient all-wheel drive system which can be switched between 4WD to 2WD depending on ground conditions and can also handle slopes up to 30 degrees, perfect for Plymouth’s many steep banks.

The teams began their grass cutting schedule last week and between now and October, will do nine sweeps of the city’s green spaces with an extra two cuts in 2018, cutting around 5 million square meters of grass each time.

Councillor Mike Leaves, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and the Environment, said: “We must do all that can be done to keep our parks and green spaces looking lush and inviting. As we know, our climate is ever-changing with summers becoming warmer and wetter so our teams must have the tools they need to do their job efficiently. This fleet of new equipment represents a significant investment in this and I look forward to seeing them in use throughout the summer.”

Older machines can be costly to run and maintain and when there are break downs, disrupt the grass cutting schedule so the decision to invest in the new equipment was made in a bid to ensure that grass cutting runs as smoothly as possible.

Full list of new equipment

• 3 x Triple deck gang mowers: Used to cut large open spaces and are pulled behind our tractors. They cut at double the RPM of our old gang mowers.
• 9 x Ride on grass cutter: Offer a better quality of cut and can cut longer grass easier. These will include Flail decks which attach to the above and can cut brush and wildflowers meadows.
• 14 x grass cutters: Able to cut on banks at pace and produces a better quality of cut and replaces antiquated equipment.
• 10 x Leaf and litter blowers: Up to date equipment that is easier to use.
• 13 x Strimmers: Up to date equipment that is easier to use.
• 4 x Pedestrian mowers: These narrow grass cutters are for use in smaller areas in the cemeteries. They leave little arisings and can cut close to obstacles without causing any damage
• 2 x Flail pedestrian mower: The main use for these flails are to cut and bail the wildflower meadows on areas that tractors cannot access.
• 8 x Hedge cutters: Up to date equipment that is easier to use.

Elite

Recently Parks have places a small fleet of the stunning new Plaxton Elite coaches on its National Express contracts. I caught HSK646 on camera on the 28th March:

Cant get enough of these wonderful coaches!

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• Now, GSC can add achievements for student transport to Alton College. One journey starts in Sussex. This means GSC now stretches along the coast from Devon to West Sussex via the Isle of Wight. Dorset Bus Blog

Trouble ahead?

Publication Date: September 20 2010
TRANSPORT UNION RMT today slammed the “appalling and outrageous” treatment of a group of members working for First Devon and Cornwall buses on a sub-contract from National Express who have been effectively sacked following the re-award of the contract to a different company – Parks of Hamilton – who are refusing to abide by their obligations under the law to re-engage the existing staff.
RMT confirmed today that it is preparing a ballot for industrial action on First Devon and Cornwall if the company fail to intervene to ensure that the new company comply with their legal obligations and if First Group fail to protect the interests of their staff by re-engaging the workers caught in the middle of the tendering process.
RMT, National Express and First Devon and Cornwall were all clear during negotiations over the award of the contract to Parks of Hamilton that Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) regulations would apply and that existing staff would be re-employed. It is Parks of Hamilton who have refused to comply with TUPE but RMT are clear that First Devon Cornwall also have an obligation to ensure that they do and to re-engage any staff who have lost out as a result of the tendering process.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
“The treatment of our members who have been caught in the middle of this tendering process is a disgrace. RMT was appalled to find out that staff who should have been either re-deployed by First Devon and Cornwall, or re-engaged with their service and employment rights protected by Parks of Hamilton, were effectively sacked on the 6th September. That is an outrageous way to treat loyal staff.
“As well as preparing an industrial action ballot RMT will be pursuing legal cases against both First Devon and Cornwall and Parks of Hamilton and we are also demanding that National Express intervene as the client to clear up the mess that this tendering process has created and ensure that our members’ rights are protected.
“It is important that the seriousness of this situation is recognised by all concerned and that the employers meet their obligations to the workforce.”

It remains to be seen if this threat does come to anything as there is still time for all sides to sort something out but it does illustrate the problems that can happen when contracts change hands. As usual its the staff caught up in the middle who tend to come of worse.
Pic credit: RabidSquirrel Creative commons

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Trathens in the dock

"The company has entered not guilty pleas to the charges” IanTheRev Flickr Omnibus Can Carrying B’us Walking the dogs

©Ian Kirby (IantheRev Flickr) Trathens is in the news for all the wrong reasons. It is to face 26 charges of having its drivers work over hours and misuse of tachographs. The company has entered not guilty pleas to the charges. Drivers allegedly failed to take proper rest periods and failed to complete their tachograph records properly, mostly in April last year. Eight drivers pleaded guilty to various offences at a previous hearing. Trathens, based in Burrington Way, will face a two-day trial on November 9 and November 10. This is Plymouth Having said that Trathens is in the dock, the Trathens name is disappearing. There is a new application for an operating licence: PH1089775 SI PARK'S OF HAMILTON (COACH HIRERS) LTD T/A PARKS OF HAMILTON Director(s): GERARD DONNACHIE, WILLIAM CUMMING, IAN BARRON MACKAY, HUGH MCATEER, DOUGLAS IRELAND PARK. 14 BOTHWELL ROAD HAMILTON ML3 0AY Operating Centre: PARKS OF HAMILTON, WALKHAM BUSINESS PARK, BURRINGTON WAY PLYMOUTH PL5 3LS Authorisation:47 Vehicle(s). Transport Manager(s): PHILLIP RICHARD HOLMES. Apparently the Trathens names have been replaced at the depot already! The company has been owned by Parks for quite a few years now so I suppose its amazing that the name has lasted as long as it has. Still, its sad to see it go.