The UK Post Office has begun a major upgrade of its Cash and Valuables in Transit (CViT) fleet, with the first new-build vehicles now in operation in South Wales.
On January 13, the Post Office’s CViT team in Swansea took delivery of three newly built vehicles, which will serve postmasters and commercial clients across the region. The deployment marks the start of a two-year program that will see 167 new-build CViT vehicles added to the fleet.
Of the new vehicles, 47 will be fully electric, with the remainder meeting Euro 6 emissions standards. The Post Office said 30% of its CViT fleet will be electric within the next 18 months, as part of a wider effort to reduce vehicle emissions across its supply chain operations. The investment represents the largest upgrade to the CViT fleet in more than 15 years.
The new vehicles were developed over an 18-month period and involved testing seven prototype variants before final approval. According to the Post Office, CViT drivers were closely involved in the design process, providing input on layout, usability and functionality. The vehicles feature updated exterior branding aligned with the organization’s next-generation branch design, highlighting services including banking, posting, travel money, insurance and identity services.
Post Office’s CViT operation provides 24/7 secure transportation of cash, coins and valuables between branches, retail outlets and corporate clients. The operation completes more than 10,000 services per week and is considered a key part of the UK’s cash and banking infrastructure, as well as national contingency planning.
Over the next two years, the Post Office plans to replace 85% of its existing CViT fleet. The organization said the expansion is intended to increase capacity, grow revenue within its supply chain operations and position CViT as a secure logistics partner for additional financial institutions.
Russell Hancock, Post Office supply chain director, said, “This rollout follows the Banking Framework 4 agreement, and will strengthen our role in supporting everyday banking services for customers and communities. It also provides a major opportunity to grow our secure logistics offering and offer it more widely. Post Office currently delivers services for Bank of Ireland and Royal Mail, but our aim is to expand further. CViT is central to that ambition. These new vehicles ensure we have the right fleet – modern, efficient and capable – to move cash securely, cost-effectively and reliably across the UK.”
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