JCB has launched a move to reduce plant theft by announcing it will start fitting immobilisers and government sanctioned tags to new machines as standard.

All machines will conform to Construction Equipment Security and Registration Scheme (CESAR) standards.

With one-in-three of all machines sold in the UK made by JCB, the decision to install CESAR is a major step forward in the clamp down against theft, making the company the first major plant manufacturer to implement the system.

The drive to reduce plant theft is boosted by the news that JCB will also introduce vehicle immobilisation packages on its products. Customers will be given the choice of having either a transponder key or a keypad.

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CESAR will be fitted as standard on all construction machines from November and immobilisation will be introduced in the UK starting in November on 2CX, 3CX, 4CX and Midi CX backhoe loaders, mini excavators and side-engined Loadall telescopic handlers manufactured at the World Headquarters, Rocester.

Matthew Taylor, JCB’s Group Chief Operating Officer, said: “One-in-three construction machines sold in the UK is a JCB so as the country’s biggest plant manufacturer, we are fully committed to helping stamp out plant theft with the adoption of CESAR as standard on our projects. Coupled with the introduction of an immobilisation system as standard on our range of machines, JCB is committed to leading the way in the UK on reducing plant theft.”

CESAR is designed to help reduce theft and has been developed by the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office Plant Theft Action Group. Each machine fitted with CESAR will have microchips containing ownership details embedded into equipment. The machine will have two tamper-resistant security plates featuring a unique code, which will be both visibly displayed and lasered onto the plate. These details will also be logged on a central database to help the police return recovered machines to their owners.

(JM/SP)