TRANSCO has fitted its 6,000 vehicle fleet with new telematics systems to track vehicles, monitor fuel use and protect drivers in a move which could cut running costs by 25%.

The system, provided by WS2, a Dublin-based software company, also provides reports on vehicle location, mileage and whether the driver can take on new jobs.

To meet its duty of care to drivers, Transco has also installed a panic button for drivers to call for help, with the system providing an instant report on the vehicle's location.

The WS2 system was customised specifically for Transco and allows the firm to allocate the vehicle closest to a customer to speed delivery times. Transco delivers about half the UK's energy needs through its 275,000km of pipework, so ensuring staff respond to incidents quickly is vital.

John Wright, telematics projects director for The Leasing Group, which manages the Transco fleet, said: 'The primary advantage of the WS2 solution is the increased safety and security for drivers and assets but we see the system being used to help reduce fleet operating costs by as much as 25%.'

Bosses at WS2, which produces vehicle tracking and reporting services, claim the huge potential of telematics systems makes their potential use almost endless.

Services from its automatic vehicle location and reporting system could range from warning fleet decision-makers when a car is about to enter a congestion charging zone to automatically informing drivers that their car is due for its next service.

Stephen Hobb-Jones, WS2's sales director, said: 'It sounds impossible, but really we could say the answer is yes, now what is the question?'

The firm currently has 22,000 users of its units in the UK and Europe and is expecting to reach 50,000 by the end of the year, which would be possible if just 10% of current enquiries are turned into orders.

The firm's systems offer automatic vehicle location, tracking, reporting, driver messaging and integration into current IT systems though web-based services. Prices for monitoring systems are based on cost per vehicle per month.