98% of London Buses on Michelin PPM Contracts

Many Britons of a certain age will blanche when hearing the words “on the buses”, as memories of the questionable comedy series from the early 1970s flood back uninvited. But at Michelin this phrase has an entirely different, and far more pleasant connotation – Michelin Fleet Solutions, the specialist tyre management division of Michelin Tyre plc, has grown its share of the major bus fleet market to include vehicles operating on 98 per cent of red London bus routes within the M25 – all supported on pence per mile (PPM) contracts. The combined agreements cover well over 8,000 vehicles under the management of London Buses – part of Transport for London (TfL) – operating primarily on 245/70 R 19.5 and 275/70 R 22.5 Michelin X InCity tyres.

With 2.2 billion passenger trips made across approximately 700 different routes on the London network each year, the combined contract includes single-deck, double-deck, bendy-buses and historic Routemasters (still operating on two heritage routes) supported by Michelin Fleet Solutions, traversing a combined total of nearly 300 million miles each year. The X InCity tyres in use are designed primarily for urban and inter-urban applications, and Michelin reports the tyre “performs well in demanding stop/start applications and benefits from a casing that has additional protection against kerb damage with reinforced sidewalls.”

X InCity tyres are manufactured using Michelin Durable Technologies and feature full-depth Double Wave sipes – a feature that, according to Michelin, ensures the tread pattern combines excellent grip with longer tyre life in all weather conditions, whilst providing greater safety for passengers and other road users. The tyres also feature wear indicators on the sidewalls to simplify regular fleet checks.
 
In order to maximise mileage obtained from each tyre and minimise their environmental impact, London bus contracts are operated according to the ‘Michelin Four Lives’ tyre process. Each tyre is thus regrooved when the tread depth reaches 3mm, taking advantage of the additional layer of rubber included in all Michelin commercial vehicle tyres.  Once the regrooved tyre has lived out its life it is remoulded by Michelin into an X InCity Remix, which can also be later regrooved.

As part of the contract, Michelin will carries out tyre fitment, maintenance and fleet inspections on every vehicle.  This is performed by 60 Michelin staff based full-time in bus depots across London. Inspections also include tyre pressure checks and adjustments to settings recommended by Michelin for each vehicle type. TfL bus operators also have access to ATS Euromaster’s fleet of approximately 1,000 mobile service vehicles, which provide a rapid response in the event of a tyre-related breakdown at the roadside.