OWL Founder CMS SupaTrak, the integrated fleet intelligence solutions specialist and Founder of the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality, has joined the Worshipful Company of Carmen as the first corporate member in 500 years of its existence. This pioneering move will see 21st-century technology working with age-old heritage and tradition to help the members of Carmen decarbonise their fleets.
The Worshipful Company of Carmen represents the 77th livery company in the City of London, dates back to 1517, and represents a wide range of members from the transport and logistics industry.
The ancient Cart Marking Ceremony is leading the year in the Carmen calendar, typically held in July.
A collection of transport ranging from the horse and cart to the latest, cleanest, greenest, and safest technology today enters the Guildhall Yard through the arch to be branded. As each one presents, a commentator tells visitors about its history and relevance today. Once in position, each vehicle will be branded with a red-hot iron. This process is one of the first examples of vehicle MOT and licensing.
Aligning goals to clean up the air
CMS SupaTrak and the Worshipful Company of Carmen might differ in age, but their goals align perfectly – to help clear up the air we breathe by decarbonising transport.
CMS’s MD and Sales and Marketing Director, Jason Airey and Sally Cumner, set up the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality (WCRAQ), with Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield, chairing the Commission with this exact aim in mind. Since its inception in 2020, WCRAQ has gone from strength to strength by working with MPs, Peers, senior academics, air quality, and automotive professionals to influence Government Policy.
One of the Commission’s main objectives is to convince the UK Government to adopt more stringent MOT testing procedures by having particle counters measuring at the tailpipe how many particulates it produces to establish if the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is working or even missing. Emissions caused by missing or faulty DPFs are a significant cause of road transport air pollution, and their identification at MOT-stage could save thousands of preventable deaths from occurring every year.
Cooperation for decarbonisation of fleet
The Worshipful Company of Carmen, CMS and WCRAQ have agreed to highlight this issue during the Annual Cart Marking Ceremony. They will also hold events highlighting the DPF issue and other shared transport air quality objectives over the coming years. The parties will be working together to help Carmen members and the wider industry decarbonise its fleets and clean up transport.
Action, not words
Jason Airey, MD of CMS SupaTrak, commented: ‘We are delighted to receive this 500-year accolade from the Worshipful Company of Carmen. But together, we have to look to the future. In this pioneering move for the transport industry, we will use 21st-century telematics solutions and extensive knowledge gained by WCRAQ, combined with 500 years of heritage and experience gained by Carmen, to drive cleaner air and transport for all. This partnership will focus on solutions and action – not just words.’
Nick Laister, Master Carmen 2021-2022, Worshipful Company of Carmen, commented: ‘The Worshipful Company of Carmen is delighted to welcome CMS SupaTrak as our first Corporate Member. We foresee CMS SupaTrak will help us identify and address our industry’s decarbonisation challenges and encourage our membership and the wider livery on this journey.’
‘We are delighted CMS SupaTrak has become the first corporate member of the Carmen’s Company. We very much hope this is the start of a long working relationship. We hope it will be the first of many corporate members,’ commented Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, Chair, Network Rail & London Legacy Development Corporation.
