Working on busy motorways and trunk roads gives traffic management specialist Lagan Operations & Maintenance little room for error. Motorway hard shoulders are among the most dangerous places to spend time on motorways.

Operating reliable and well-specified vehicles helps Lagan’s crews work safely in this difficult environment. The firm recently purchased six new dropside vans to be based at its East Kilbride depot, from where they undertake road maintenance projects all over Scotland.

Unsurprisingly, Lagan’s van of choice was the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The new vans are all Sprinter 313 CDI long wheelbase chassis cabs with custom dropside bodies. These include access steps and safety rails for staff working at height in the rear of the vehicle.

Area Manager George Miller, who is responsible for the new fleet, said:

“Although this operation only began around 18 months ago, my own experience of traffic management work goes back over 15 years.

“In that time I’ve seen vehicles from all the major manufacturers and it’s clear to me that Mercedes-Benz vans are head and shoulders above the competition. They are the most reliable by a margin, which means they spend a lot less time off the road undergoing repairs.”

To enhance the safety of the firm’s crews when working on busy roadways and construction sites, Lagan has specified twin, rear-facing side cameras linked to full colour screens on the vans’ dashboards. These automatically show a view down the relevant side of the vehicle if the driver indicates left or right.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has won numerous awards for safety and, with its reassuring armoury of active and passive systems, is widely acknowledged as the market leader when it comes to the protection of occupants and other road users.