Commercial fleet services company Fraikin has set up and opened a new MOT centre in partnership with Harrow Council that will generate extra revenue for the local authority.
The joint venture, which is located at Harrow Council's main depot, provides Class IV, V and VII MOT testing and helps tackle a variety of challenges for the area with work being done by Fraikin's technicians.
In addition to generating an income for the council, the centre will also enable Fraikin to eliminate third-party MOT testing costs for the council's diverse fleet of more than 200 assets, which Fraikin supplies and manages on a contract hire basis.
The facility means Fraikin can conduct MOTs on Harrow's fleet outside of regular operating hours, meaning no vehicle faces operational downtime to get tested. This is the first time Fraikin has been involved in such a venture.
Venetia Reid-Baptiste, divisional director for Harrow Council, said: 'We've worked with Fraikin because it has always been much more than just another contract hire company ' it's an integral part of managing our services to the community.
'This time it has really gone the extra mile because by setting up this new MOT centre, it's not just saving us money and downtime, it's creating an entirely new revenue stream for us that will help save taxpayer money in the borough.'
The new MOT centre is the latest revenue-boosting venture to be implemented through the partnership between the council and Fraikin. The commercial vehicle fleet services company has reduced operating costs by 10 per cent in the last year through fleet re-profiling, without compromising next-day vehicle availability or the average breakdown response time of just 20 minutes.
Fraikin supplied its first vehicle to Harrow Council more than two decades ago and since 2002 it has supplied the entire fleet. The vehicles include vans, minibuses, refuse collection vehicles, bespoke-built plant trailers, excavators, tractors, sweepers, mowers and ATVs.
