Post Office has taken delivery of the first of its new-build Cash and Valuables in Transit (CViT) vehicles, marking the start of a nationwide fleet upgrade designed to strengthen high street banking services while cutting emissions across its supply chain.
The CViT team in Swansea received the keys to three new vehicles on 13 January, which will now serve postmasters and commercial clients across South Wales. The rollout forms part of a wider investment programme that will see 167 new CViT vehicles introduced over the next two years – the largest upgrade of the fleet in more than 15 years.
Of the total, 47 vehicles will be fully electric, with the remainder meeting Euro 6 emissions standards.
The new vehicles feature refreshed exterior branding highlighting core Post Office services including Banking, Posting, Travel Money, Insurance and Identity Services, aligning with the look and feel of next-generation branches. Their design was developed over an 18-month period, with seven prototype variants tested and extensive input from CViT drivers to improve layout, usability and functionality.
Early feedback from crews has been positive, with drivers reporting improvements in comfort, safety and operational efficiency.
Post Office’s CViT operation provides secure, 24/7 transportation of cash, coins and valuables between branches, retail outlets and corporate clients. The service handles around £0.5bn in value each week and completes more than 10,000 services weekly, making it a key part of the UK’s cash and banking infrastructure.
As part of its growth plans, Post Office expects to replace 85 per cent of its existing CViT fleet over the next two years, increasing capacity and supporting ambitions to expand its secure logistics offering to more 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.”