A new screed vehicle for road marking has been bought by Newcastle City Council from Somerford Equipment.

It replaces an ageing vehicle that was becoming increasingly unreliable and will be used to efficiently mark roads throughout the region, including the A69 across to Carlisle.


Highway scheme manager for Newcastle City Council, Malcolm Boakes said: 'Somerford Equipment was selected after an extensive evaluation as part of the formal tender process. The company impressed us throughout, working alongside our frontline staff and providing informed advice and expertise to help scope the specifications.

'The new screed vehicle has already exceeded our expectations, particularly for the highways maintenance team which worked so closely with the company throughout the development and manufacturing process'

Newcastle's specification required the vehicle to have a larger capacity pre-heater that would deliver extended productivity between refilling, enabling jobs to be carried in less time. The on-board gas storage facility features a single point safe-fill system to ensure the highest levels of safety are maintained when topping.

An integrated pedestrian step-well has been included to improve rear access along with railings around the vehicle, which is also fitted with rear-mounted LED traffic control lights and platform lighting to improve safety of teams working in the dark. And a canopy fitted over the vehicle makes it easier to work in bad weather.

Other features include extended storage facilities for materials and traffic management equipment and a larger pedestrian hand marking pram that allows more to be done between refilling.

'Somerford Equipment has provided a vehicle that is clearly focused on allowing us to achieve more in less time,' said Malcolm Boakes.

'It has streamlined highways maintenance and enables us to get jobs done faster, helping to reduce disruption on the road and keep traffic moving. The vehicle can also be used by other councils throughout the North-East'

The vehicle will also benefit from Somerford Equipment's service and maintenance programme which includes full gas accreditation and certification.