RSPCA's New Citroens - Designed To Improve Animal Welfare & Deliver Crew Benefits

SLOUGH, UNITED KINGDOM – April 21, 2009: A big new order for Berlingo and Dispatch vans continues the long-running association between Citroën and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), one of the UK’s best-known charities. During 2009 the RSPCA will buy 160 Berlingo 1.6HDi LX 625 L1 and 750 L2 van and Dispatch 1000 1.6HDi L1H1 vans, the first of these new Citroën LCV models to enter its van fleet.

The RSPCA is standardising on the new Berlingo van for the bulk of its transport requirements, with the Dispatch L1H1 being specified for use on larger animal rescue projects. The introduction of the new Berlingo and Dispatch vans also heralds the launch of a new interior load compartment layout.

With the delivery of the 2009 Berlingo and Dispatch order the number of Citroën LCVs in service with the RSPCA will increase to some 500 – to form the majority of its van fleet. In addition to its Citroën vans the RSPCA also has a fleet of 130 Citroën cars, including C2, C3, C4 and C5 models.

Supplied by Citroën London West, Brentford, the new Berlingo and Dispatch vans will have a five year, 100,000 mile service life with the RSPCA. Air conditioning has been specified, as has rear wash/wipe, rear parking sensors and hands-free mobile phone equipment.

Carroll Lamport, from the RSPCA’s inspectorate futures projects, explains, “The new Berlingo and Dispatch vans are part of a move to future-proof our van operations, by raising our already high standards of animal welfare and further improve the Health and Safety aspects of our inspectors’ work. For the new Citroën vans we have developed a new, standardised modular van interior, which makes the work of our inspectors safer and more convenient and improves the facilities for the treatment and transport of rescued animals.”

The RSPCA’s new modular van interior, which is being produced by Vantech, incorporates a secondary load floor to sub-divide the load compartment. Under the floor – and accessible through both the van’s rear doors and sliding side doors – are secure equipment storage compartments as well as, at the rear, ladder storage and a slide out treatment table. Above the secondary floor are two secure mesh carriers for rescued animals, which can be easily removed from the van.

“The new Berlingo is suitably compact to be easy to use in town or country – and it provides a useful amount of extra load space, compared with the original Berlingo, which has been very successful in RSPCA service. Crew comfort and safety are also further improved and the standard fitment of Trafficmaster Smartnav satellite navigation will be a real benefit for our inspectors,” Mr Lamport continues.

The charity’s 328 uniformed inspectors and 161 animal collection officers are the main users of the vans, which are fully equipped to carry sick or mistreated animals. Typically the RSPCA will annually rescue or collect 150,000 animals from danger or abuse, mainly as a result of calls from the general public. The RSPCA’s national cruelty and advice line, 0300 1234 999, is phoned on average, every 25 seconds, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.