The Fuel Card Group has announced a new agreement with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) that will see a considerable streamlining of the provision of fuel cards for public sector customers.

Aimed at making the process of securing a fuel card that much simpler and efficient for public sector staff, the new framework agreement will enable workers to arrange these cards within minutes, rather than weeks.

Steve Clarke, marketing manager for The Fuel Card Group, said: "This enabling agreement simplifies the public sector procurement process, because the CCS has established pre-agreed terms and conditions for individual contracts."

An executive agency and trading fund of the Cabinet Office, the CCS provides a professional procurement service to the UK's public sector.

This new agreement has been made in full compliance with EU law and means customers will now be able to choose from a range of pre-determined fuel card deals, with users to expect to save up to 4p per litre on both diesel and petrol purchases in the future.

Application for a fuel card under the new CCS agreement will be available to all public sector users, including those working in central government, local government, health, education, devolved administrations, emergency services, defence and not-for-profit organisations.

All CCS framework agreements are subject to the same strict processes from which public sector customers can purchase goods and services. This latest agreement is no different and promises to be of great benefit both to individual staff and the organisations they work for.

Mr Clarke concluded: "The CCS has done all of the legwork, so that an organisation needs only to choose the fuel card or cards that suit its specific needs. Being independent and impartial, with an unbeatable range, we can assure them the best possible combination of service, savings and security."

He added that whether public sector bodies are running just a few vans or a whole fleet of commercial vehicles, this new agreement will enable them to save considerable amounts on their fuel bills.