Passengers and drivers on Swindon-based Thamesdown Transport’s buses are enjoying a safer and greener ride following the firm’s pioneering use of an innovative device that monitors tyre pressure.
The ground-breaking system installed at Thamesdown Transport’s depot does away with the need for manual checking. Instead the firm’s maintenance team simply drives its buses over a flush-mounted device embedded into the roadway which contains highly-sensitive, robust sensors. These WheelRight sensors check the tyre pressures quickly, accurately and without the need for any additional equipment. 
Thamesdown, winner of the Bus Company of the Year Award in 2012, was keen to adopt the leading-edge technology developed by Oxford-based WheelRight after extensive tests.
Thamesdown is now using the system to spot poorly inflated tyres and identify punctures before they become apparent on its fleet of nearly 100 buses.
Head of engineering at Thamesdown, Dave Spencer, is confident that the system will improve passenger and employee safety as well as enhancing the company’s environmental credentials.
“With this new technology, our passengers can be assured of even greater safety on the road,” he said
“More consistent tyre pressure monitoring will improve braking performance on our buses, cut down on maintenance and improve the efficiency of our fleet. This smart piece of kit has also been proven to spot punctures before buses even leave the depot, thus enabling us to change or repair tyres before they become a problem on route.
“This has reduced the number of instances we’ve had to call out emergency roadside services in the event of unexpected tyre failures, which in turn has reduced disruptions to our services locally.
“Adopting the WheelRight system also reduces our impact on the environment, saving fuel, cutting CO2 emissions and reducing the number of tyres sent early to landfill.”
WheelRight chief executive John Catling added: “Having conducted a full scale trial lasting seven months, we have some really robust data on the practical implementation and performance of our technology.
“Clearly, the management team at Thamesdown has seen the benefits that our solution can bring to their business. It’s satisfying to see our partnership with Thamesdown come to fruition and make a real difference to the day-to-day operation of this pioneering bus company. Their ethos of continuous improvement and willingness to embrace new ways of working has contributed significantly to the successful implementation of the WheelRight system at the Swindon depot.”
The WheelRight solution device can be used by car fleets, HGV fleets and retail businesses to offer remote, accurate tyre pressure monitoring to improve driver safety and fuel efficiency.
