Driving push could sack staff
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by Guy Sheppard • Companies joining the new "How's my driving?" initiative could eventually sack their drivers if more than three complaints are made against them by members of the public. The scheme, set up two months ago, involves putting a freephone number on the back of vehicles which people can contact if they wish to complain about or praise individual drivers.
A dozen companies have already signed up, including Texaco, UPS and Rentokil.
Tony Waite, managing director drainage and sewage cleaning company EPOK, says all its 21 tankers now carry the "How's my driving?" stickers. "If a driver was persistently doing something blatantly wrong his job could be on the line after three complaints," says Waite.
David Pink, sales and marketing director of distribution group Dodds, says the scheme is being given a three-month trial before any serious disciplinary action is considered as a result of the scheme.
"It depends on the complaints themselves but we will then go on to issuing two verbal warnings and a written warning which would be final," he says. Dave Krska, safety manager for UPS, won't say if UPS drivers would face the sack.
He points out that the scheme was designed to raise the profile of the industry rather than catch offending drivers.
Transport Minister Steven Norris has welcomed the initiative, which is based on an idea from the US and set up by millionaire businessman Ross Smith: "It is a system which works best in those circumstances where police are not alongside to see bad behaviour," he says.