M6toll support local Craft Barn as part of Recycling Week
Midland Expressway Ltd (operators of the M6toll) are proud to announce their support of Saxon Hill Craft Barn with a donation of recyclable items provided by colleagues that can be used for craft projects along with a donation of £500 to source specific craft items needed for their students.
Saxon Hill Craft Barn was established in 2012 and is a resource and recycling centre which provides work-based learning opportunities for young people and adults with physical and learning difficulties.
The Craft Barn located in Chasewater Country Park is a real Aladdin’s cave which stores anything from cardboard tubes, fabric, wool, craft packs, buttons, magazines, card making stuff, stampers which are donated for the community of crafters and makers to purchase. All profit then goes back into the Saxon Hill Academy to support young people and adults with physical and learning difficulties.
Angie Merriman; Craft Barn Manager said: “Thank you to everyone at the M6toll for their generous donation of craft supplies and funding which will help support our students during their placements with us here at the barn.”
Jo Brett; MEL CSR Project Coordinator added: “As a business we understand the positive environmental benefits of recycling and we were delighted to support this initiative as part of our engagement with Recycling Week. The Saxon Hill Craft Barn is a great initiative which is not only a recycling centre, but an environment for students with learning difficulties to obtain work-based opportunities to improve their experience and confidence. We are so proud to be supporting this great initiative benefitting our local community.”
For more information about Saxon Hill Craft Barn visit: Saxon Hill Craft Barn (facebook.com)
Midland Expressway Ltd’s (MEL) donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Squad is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future visit www.m6toll.co.uk for further information or email d4c@m6toll.co.uk
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Hauliers place faith in M6toll as new data reveals three-year surge in HGV traffic
Hauliers and logistic operators are increasingly using the M6toll as their route of choice through the West Midlands region, with exclusive new data showing a surge in HGV traffic volumes on the road during the past three years.
Based on data from the M6toll data analytics team, 2022 has seen some of the highest volumes of HGV traffic ever recorded on the M6toll. August and September have seen HGV traffic grow by up to 51%, the highest percentage increase recorded when compared to 2019 levels.
Both March and August 2022 have registered the highest HGV traffic volumes this year, with figures peaking in August with 138,735 vehicles travelling on the road.
More recently, the M6toll saw 1,807 business customers using the road on 11 October – the highest number of HGV customers to take advantage of the easy and efficient ANPR system, since it was first piloted in 2021.
The M6toll data team is also anticipating further spikes in November and December as the pre-festive period delivery traffic begins to ramp up on the road.
For firms such as pladis Global, a confectionery and snack foods company encompassing United Biscuits, Ülker, Godiva Chocolatier and DeMet’s Candy Company, there are significant benefits to be gained from using the M6toll as their route of choice through the West Midlands region.
Guy Moore, UK Transport Operations Manager at pladis Global said: “The M6toll helps us overcome so many business challenges. It helps cut out the unknown delays and disruption, enables us to plan ahead and make key savings – in time, fuel and driver hours – across the business.
“The reliability the M6toll provides also helps to reduce the stress points in our business, as we know we can always rely on it to deliver the operational efficiencies key to us and our customers.
“When you weigh up those benefits and set them against the cost of regularly using the M6toll, it’s easy to make the case for continuing to use it.”
Michael Whelan, General Manager at Midland Expressway Ltd said: “The rise in HGV traffic volumes on the M6toll during the past three and half years demonstrates the increasing confidence that businesses have in the road as their route of choice.
“During the three-year we have been through a pandemic, followed by a gradual return to business operations and a cost-of-living crisis. Despite these periods of huge uncertainty, hauliers, logistics companies and other commercial operators have continued to place their faith in the M6toll as a route that can deliver operational benefits for their business.
“M6toll has also supported businesses with attractive product trials, bespoke pricing and incentives for new HGV customers. We remain committed to increasing the volume of HGV traffic on the M6toll, by making it a viable alternative to more congested routes in the regional road network.”
As part of its ongoing support for businesses, for the Road Haulage Association’s (RHA) ‘National Lorry Week’, the M6toll will offer RHA members opening a new M6toll account, an introductory offer of 30% discount for the first three months, valid from 14th October 2022 through to 31st of December 2022. It’s a promotion that has proved popular in the past, with previous offers recording a 100% retention rate for those RHA members opening up new accounts.
Further support for businesses has seen hauliers, logistics companies and delivery firms become the first to trial the new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) based tolling system. ANPR cameras identify licence plate data, removing the need for card payments at the toll plazas and replacing them with a remote payment system.
It means customers can manage all transactions via the M6toll website, whether for a single vehicle or larger fleets spread across several depots. The pilot project was launched in April 2021 with Maritime Transport Ltd, the UK’s fastest-growing intermodal transport operator, the first to trial the new ANPR technology,
Since then, similarly large-scale operators such as Culina, Huntapac, Menzies Distribution and Wincanton have all been added to the pilot project. The feedback from drivers and the wider companies they work for has so far been very positive about the new ANPR system.
For more views from businesses on why they use the M6toll, visit: https://www.m6toll.co.uk/using-the-m6toll/commercial-customers/case-studies/
Back to newsM6toll support Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer Charity Appeal
Midland Expressway Ltd (operators of the M6toll) are proud to announce their support of ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ with a donation of £1,500 to fund a ‘Hug in a Bag’ project for local women.
Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer (LFBC) was established in 2000 by Veronica Kumeta and the late Sue Macmaster, after their friend Carol Knaggs was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Carol sadly lost her battle with cancer, as did Sue when she was later diagnosed with the disease. But their legacy lives on through the outreach, fundraising and community care provided by LFBC. The charity that was set up to support Carol and Sue, has now supported hundreds of women in their loving memory, for more than two decades. Veronica now works with an amazing team of support workers and volunteers with a core aim of raising the importance of early detection, whilst also providing community support and raising funds for the fight against breast cancer.
LFBC developed their Hug-In-A-Bag initiative in mid-2020, as a direct response to conversations and feedback from service users within LFBC’s core support groups. The result was the provision of durable, reusable bags to women undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy in hospitals across the West Midlands. They have been running this initiative since late 2020, and are currently working with twelve hospitals, and in talks with three more across the region.
The bags which M6toll colleagues have kindly been volunteering their time to pack contain items that a woman will either need or be appreciative of when they attend their first session.
Veronica Kumeta; Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer said: “Thank you to everyone at the M6toll and the Drive for Charity Team for your very generous donation to our hugs in a bag campaign which is very much appreciated by us all.
Thank you also to the volunteering team who assisted us with packing up a delivery of bags for local women.
Local charity. Helping local people. Making a difference.”
Sheena Hawkins; M6toll Charity Coordinator added: “Having gone through breast cancer treatment, I was overjoyed that we were able to support this initiative. I know from first-hand experience that support groups like LFBC are much needed and welcome. Learning that you have cancer can make you feel overwhelmed, anxious and you can’t take everything in at the time of diagnosis. Patients and their families are desperate for knowledge in a language that they can understand and LFBC provides that together with a little hug if needed. It’s also nice to make friends with people that are going through the same journey, making treatment that little bit easier.”
Since 2000, Ladies Fight Breast Cancer has raised more than £1.5 million to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Trust’s Cancer Unit, which has helped raised fund leading edge medical equipment and create a ‘centre of excellence’. For more information about LFBC can be found here visit: Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer – Offering Cancer Support West Midlands (lfbc.org.uk)
Midland Expressway Ltd’s (MEL) donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Squad is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future visit www.m6toll.co.uk for further information or email d4c@m6toll.co.uk
Back to newsM6toll confirms continued support for Ride to the Wall
Midland Expressway Limited (operators of the M6toll) have confirmed they will again provide free passage to motorcyclists heading to this year’s Ride to the Wall event.
Around 2,000 bikers are expected to flow through the booths on their way to the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas on Saturday 1st October. The annual charity event attracts bikers from across the UK and overseas, all riding to the Armed Forces Memorial to pay their respects to serving and fallen service men and women and raise funds for the Arboretum.
Sarah Loizou, HR & Business Services Director at Midland Expressway Ltd, said: “This is the 15th anniversary of Ride to the Wall, and we are proud to have supported the event every year. We’re honoured to provide free passage to the participating riders travelling with the official groups on their inbound journey to the National Memorial Arboretum, enabling them to save in excess of £5,000 in toll costs.”
Riders will set off from eleven different starting points across the Midlands, assembling at the 150-acre site for an act of remembrance.
Registered riders are expected to travel in official groups, accompanied by volunteer marshals, along the M6toll and through T5 (Shenstone) and T6 (Burntwood) plazas between 10am and 11am.
The wide load lanes (far left lanes) at both plazas will show a green arrow to allow the Ride to the Wall participants to flow freely through. The event organisers request that riders do not exit at T4 (Weeford) to avoid congestion at the traffic lights.
Martin Dickinson, founder of Ride to the Wall, added: “We are back for the 15th anniversary of Ride to the Wall, which is an amazing achievement and credit must go to all those behind the scenes who work tirelessly throughout the year to allow us all to come together as a family for a service of remembrance. We continue to be so grateful for the support of M6toll in making this route affordable for all the bikers taking part.
“We have more than 7,000 registrations for this year’s event and a team of volunteer marshals on hand to ensure a smooth and successful Ride to the Wall 2022. We are asking all participants to familiarise themselves with the routes and follow instructions from our marshals to ensure everyone arrives on time and safely.”
Anyone interested in supporting the Ride to the Wall charity can find out more here.
Details of community and charity support work undertaken by M6toll under its Drive For Charity programme can be found here: Drive for Charity – M6toll
Back to newsM6toll is staycationers’ route of choice as traffic volumes hit record levels
Staycationers and leisure trippers using the M6toll for their holiday getaway in August have driven traffic volumes to record levels for the year.
During August, the M6toll recorded its busiest week of the year so far with nearly 400,000 customers using the M6toll from August 12 to August 19 and in doing so helping to both reduce traffic and improve local air quality by easing congestion on local routes. For those staycationers and day trippers choosing the M6toll it meant more hours enjoying the sun and less hours on the road.
M6toll is now gearing up to keep drivers moving for the next UK traffic milestone event – the return to work and school in the first week of September. By providing customers with a seamless, hassle-free route, which directly connects the North and South, the M6toll is becoming the staycationers route of choice, giving drivers more options to travel around the UK or quickly access Birmingham Airport if they’re travelling further away.
Additionally, 44% of drivers consider M6toll to be a safer road to travel on, with the road supported by a dedicated Operations Team directly responsible for its maintenance, a network of 24/7 CCTV cameras along the route and other measures in place that help to make the M6toll among the safest UK motorways. The M6toll also has dedicated safety patrols that operate 24/7 to help those who have broken down or experiencing difficulties, with the Incident Support Units on hand to ensure incidents can be reached as quickly as possible.
With safety being a top priority for M6toll, drivers are being reminded that it’s necessary to take a break while taking long journeys, especially when fatigue sets in. With Norton Canes service station, operated by Roadchef and double award winner for the ‘Best Service Station in the UK’, accessible between junction T6 and T7, there is the perfect opportunity for families to take a break, stretch their legs, and let the dog take a stroll.
There are also fantastic partnership promotions on such as the Roadchef Captain’s Club coach drivers’ loyalty scheme, which gives coach drivers the opportunity to earn loyalty points on purchases when stopping off with passengers. For more details visit https://roadchef.com/captains-club
Michael Whelan, General Manager at Midland Expressway Ltd, commented: “Following our busiest days so far this year, we are expecting M6toll to continue being the route of choice for many motorists.
“When it comes to staycations or day trips in the UK, the M6toll is a key route which takes thousands of cars, caravans and motorhomes off the local alternatives, helping to alleviate congestion when the road network is at its busiest.
“As more of our customers experience the benefits of using M6toll, we are focused on transforming our service to make it one of the most customer orientated motorways in the UK. We are gradually rolling out our ‘RoadAhead’ programme to enhance our service to deliver even more efficiencies for drivers. The initiative is focused on delivering a strategic vision to make the M6toll deliver hugely beneficial transport outcomes for the operator and customers alike.”
For more information about M6toll, visit www.m6toll.co.uk.
Back to newsM6toll supports healthy eating campaign set up by local farmers
Midland Expressway Ltd (operators of the M6toll) are supporting Farm Fresh Revolution with a donation of £1,500 to support their ‘Grocery Bag’ initiative set up by local farming family Rob and Sally Mercer, to help local families gain access to good quality, fresh fruit, veg, meat and eggs.
The project, which aims to educate and inspire families to eat more fresh food recently launched in Stoneydelph Primary School in Tamworth providing grocery bags for many families – containing potatoes, vegetables, fruit, meat and free-range eggs along with a recipe which encourages families to try out new meals.
Farm Fresh Revolution visit each of their 8 schools, once a fortnight to set up a market stall, reaching approximately 300 families across the county. The charity is determined to get children excited about eating more healthily and hope that by distributing their food through local primary schools that they can educate school children and their parents about the virtues of freshly grown, healthy food. The charity is run mostly by a team of volunteers that drive the vans to the schools, set up the stalls and hand out the produce with cooking tips along the way. They have a sister project, ‘FarmLink’, that allows school children to visit a dedicated farm space during summer months and in winter offers in-school workshops such as healthy eating, educating the next generation on the importance of eating good food for long-term health benefits.
Rachel Sherratt; Operations Manager said: “Receiving this donation from Midland Expressway Ltd is fantastic news for Farm Fresh Revolution. It will buy 200 of our grocery bags, for local families, which equals approximately 2,400 healthy and nutritious individual meals, freshly cooked by families on our scheme. Thank you Midland Expressway!”
Jo Brett, MEL CSR Project Coordinator added: “Many families will be struggling with rising costs which is why we were keen to support this campaign aimed at helping local families, giving them access to affordable, healthy food. We are so proud to be working with Farm Fresh Revolution and the great work they are carrying out in our local community.”
For more information about Farm Fresh Revolution visit:
About Us – Farm Fresh Revolution
Midland Expressway Ltd’s (MEL) donation forms part of a wider initiative to support local schools and community projects. MEL’s Social Squad is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future visit www.m6toll.co.uk for further information or email d4c@m6toll.co.uk
Back to newsM6toll announces funding for wellbeing garden
M6toll announces funding for staff wellbeing garden at the charity’s new airbase headquarters.
M6toll, one of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s longstanding corporate supporters will be partnering with the charity on the development of the employee wellbeing garden at the new airbase headquarters facility currently being constructed in Cosford, on the Shropshire / Staffordshire border.
The charity’s new facility, which has been four years in the planning, will enhance its pre-hospital helicopter-led emergency medical service. It’ll feature a purpose-built environment for crew and charity staff including main offices, warehousing and storage, advanced clinical simulation training room and space for two aircraft and critical care cars to allow the charity to expand its service in the future. It will complement the charity’s existing service across the six Midlands counties it covers, providing benefit to those unfortunate enough to suffer a traumatic injury or illness.
Sarah Loizou, HR and business services director for M6toll, said: “While statistically the M6toll road is one of the safest motorways in the UK, we’re always grateful for the lifesaving support of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity when incidents do occur. We understand these missions can be harrowing for the aircrew that have been called to the scene and why it’s so important they have somewhere peaceful they can visit where they can reflect. The staff garden will be the perfect place for them to take some much-needed time out and we couldn’t be happier to fund the build of this vital space.”
Pam Hodgetts, corporate partnerships manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, added: “The garden will be a key feature at our new airbase – it’ll be somewhere tranquil for our crew to spend time after they’ve been called out to a lifesaving mission, and for employees to relax after a hard day of fundraising. We’re thankful to M6toll’s support on the development of the garden which will become one of the most important facilities at our new airbase.”
Construction started at the Neachley Lane site in Cosford in March 2021 and the project is expected to be completed in early spring 2023.
To find out more about Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s vital, lifesaving work in your local area, visit the charity website and follow the organisation on social media.
Back to newsNew M6toll appointment to deliver world class tolling system for UK’s best motorway
Midland Expressway Ltd, the owner and operator of the M6toll, has appointed Michael Whelan, a globally experienced expert on innovative toll systems as General Manager.
In his new role, Michael will oversee the implementation of the M6toll’s strategic ‘RoadAhead’ transformation programme, to deliver a world-class service to the 18 million drivers and businesses that use the motorway every year.
Michael will lead the roll-out of this programme, which spans a raft of technological initiatives. With the M6toll recently voted the UK’s best motorway in a poll of HGV drivers, commissioned by motorway services operator Roadchef, the plan is to deliver a transformational tolling system that will further enhance the customer experience.
As a senior level executive, with more than 20 years’ experience of delivering successful tolling projects around the world, Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role. Most recently, he worked as General Manager for Australian owned Transurban, one of the world’s largest tolling operators. He has been involved in pioneering projects in Australia and the United States and his expertise expands to areas such free flow tolling, express lanes, and high occupancy vehicle schemes.
Upon being appointed General Manager of M6toll, Michael said: “I am looking forward to working with Midland Expressway Ltd during this exciting time, as we work to ensure the M6toll is the most technologically advanced and customer-orientated motorway in the UK.
“I relish the opportunity to again be involved in successfully delivering a world-class tolling system, with tangible benefits for local drivers and long-distance customers, the West Midland region, and the wider national strategic road network.”
Planning for ‘RoadAhead’ has been ongoing for over 12 months and Michael will complete the implementation of the Road Ahead programme initiated by Andy Cliffe, Michael’s predecessor.
The rollout of the ‘RoadAhead’ programme is now moving through the gears, with Midland Expressway Ltd investing across the business in transformational digital systems, that will enhance the customer experience and deliver further time efficiencies for journeys.
For instance, the roadside Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras provide the capability to capture licence plate data and facilitate contactless and cashless payments. Currently available for account customers, the M6toll is working to make the service available to all road-users in the future.
An initial trial with HGV operators and local car drivers has proved to be successful, with all journeys and transactions managed via the M6toll website – whether for a single vehicle or a large fleet spread across multiple depots.
Further plans for the tolling system include expanding the current 16 ANPR enabled lanes to a full deployment across all 45 lanes, upgrading point of sale technology, and developing an enhanced control room facility to increase the information available to the remote operations team.
A new e-commerce and customer management solution will also be implemented, to ensure smooth and efficient operations and improved customer service for the 50,000 drivers who use the road each day.
Michael concludes: “At the M6toll, we are committed to creating more viable transportation alternatives and frictionless journeys for our customers as we continue to be the most reliable route through the Midlands.”
Midland Expressway is owned by the IFM Global Infrastructure Fund (“GIF”), a fund advised by IFM Investors, renowned as a company that believes in bold, long-term and sustainable investment commitments and strategies aimed at creating and delivering positive benefits in people’s lives. GIF is in the process of integrating M6toll into the increasingly global portfolio of Aleatica, a pure infrastructure operator with an international footprint that spans 16 toll roads across Latin America and Europe.
Back to newsM6toll to support local community Jubilee celebrations
Midland Expressway Ltd (operators of the M6toll) are supporting Shenstone Lincoln Croft Platinum Jubilee Committee with a donation of £500 to fund a celebration event for local residents looking to commemorate the Queens Jubilee.
The special day taking place on June 5th will involve games, quizzes, street music climaxing with all converging together to toast the Queen as the nation shows a special ‘thank you’ to her Majesty followed by Shenstone’s very own ‘Last Night of the Proms’. Roads to the Croft will be closed as residents take to the streets in the biggest event of its kind to be staged in its 60-year history.
“We are looking to make it a real day to remember” said chair of the organising committee Carol Law. “After Covid there is a real yearning to get together to celebrate in safety from youngsters through to our oldest resident of 92. The grant from Midland Expressway Ltd and Shenstone Parish Council will allow us to aim high.”
Jo Brett, MEL Social Squad member added: “The Queens Jubilee will be an amazing event to commemorate and bring people back together after a difficult few years due to Covid. We are extremely proud to be supporting this event for the local community and hope it is a day to remember for all the residents of Shenstone.”
Midland Expressway Ltd’s (MEL) donation forms part of a wider initiative to Support Local Schools and Community Projects. MEL’s Social Squad is always on the lookout for local charities and community projects to support. To register your charity or community project with MEL for consideration to receive fundraising or practical (volunteering) support now or in the future visit www.m6toll.co.uk for further information or email d4c@m6toll.co.uk
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