Romanian Post adopts GPS technology for entire fleet

Romanian Post has equipped its fleet of vehicles with GPS technology as of this month. The state-owned company, which is in line for potential privatisation with Belgium’s bpost in the frame for a majority stake, has equipped an additional 796 of its delivery vehicles with GPS modules.

Previously, only 150 company vehicles had GPS fitted, between 2010 and 2011.

The GPS technology will monitor vehicle positions and speed, and should help the company configure its delivery operations and optimise routes to reduce travel miles, and therefore fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance and driver overtime.

A monitoring centre will coordinate the GPS system, with the ability to track vehicles and record events on their delivery routes, assembling comprehensive reports that include the fuel consumption, average travel speeds and routes taken.

Romanian Post said 390 of its vehicles will be equipped with panic buttons that, if activated during a security incident will call out police officers to assist.

Alexandru Petrescu, the Romanian Post director-general said the EUR 400,000 investment in the delivery fleet was a vital part of the company’s modernisation.

He said: “The efficiency and quality of postal services can not be achieved without this modern means of monitoring operations, which has been used by our rivals for a long time.”

Romanian Post has a turnover of about EUR 292m, a network of 5,600 post offices and a work force of about 27,000 people.

Belgium’s bpost made a non-binding offer for a 51% stake in the company last October under a government privatisation programme stemming from an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.