FRUITS OF SUCCESS
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When Tony Hardy, a training inspector and member of RoSPA, approached Cardiff Bus to set up training facilities for its drivers, the safely-conscious company was pleased to help.
• If you want to pick an orange — go to Cardiff. You can't eat it but you certainly can ride in it.
"Pick an orange" is the slogan used by Cardiff Bus with its fleet of bright orange double-deckers and minibuses which dominate the streets of the Welsh capital. The company, which has been serving the citizens of Cardiff for nearly 80 years, has launched a unique initiative to improve road safety., This September saw the official launch of the first Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Advanced Driving Group to be set up within a company. The scheme is the brainchild of training inspector Tony Hardy, who is a member of RoSPA and took his advanced driving test several years ago. "A few of the company's drivers knew I was a member and asked me if they could take the test as well, so I approached managing director Frank Yates and asked if we could use the company's facilities, and he said yes," says Hardy.
Six drivers took the first test and interest started to be generated throughout the company. "I had more and more people approaching me, so I asked Mr Yates if the company would formally take the scheme on board," says Hardy.
The company was delighted and took it a stage further by giving the successful drivers a bonus of £25 to compensate them for the cost of the test.
"We are able to get a pass at the highest grade with a three-and-a-half-hour training period, spread over a month, and an hour to an hour-and-a-half, test. I couldn't do it in such a short time if I was not dealing with professional drivers," asserts Hardy. "I do train car drivers for the test, but that can take months. That's the difference between the professional and the ordinary driver."
PRESENTATIONS
On passing the test the drivers are presented with a certificate and a special lapel badge, provided by the company. Presentations will take place in December where the guest of honour will be the leputy Lord Mayor of Cardiff. Managing iirector Frank Yates feels that the pre>entation is an important part of keeping nterest alive in the project.
"We have a company evening every rear to which we invite local dignitaries, Ind the drivers come along and are preented with their certificates and badges," ays Yates. "This gives the achievement a ertain status. This is the kind of thing hat can be developed and is important in eeping the interest going, but this is an mployee initiative and Tony Hardy is eally the driving force beind the whole thing," he tresses.
Of over 400 drivers in :ardiff Bus 80 are now members of the ADA group and 50 of those have so far passed the advanced driving test. Non-tested members can take part in all of the group's activities which go beyond driving to include social events for the drivers' families. Hardy is organising, through his ADA committee, a series of visits and lectures geared to enourage family involvement within the group. This included a trip to Blackpool this year to support the company's entrant in the Bus Driver of the Year competition: the group has also been invited to visit the South Glamorgan police headquarters.
"My personal aim is to see half of the company's drivers become members of the group," says Hardy. "I haven't had to sell the idea to the drivers; it has generated itself. Professional pride comes into it, plus other benefits such as cheaper insurance. I have to keep the numbers down to four a month but in the meantime seven or eight people have applied."
The scheme has had coverage in the local press and the company takes one of its training buses to local events to let its customers know what is going on. "The message going out is that the local bus company is making an effort in terms of safety," says Yates.
Group training is carried out on three 1974 Bristol VR double-deckers and two MCW minibuses. The vehicles are specially-converted to provide an instructor's seat next to the driver and a hand brake for emergencies. "These vehicles provide the right environment for the job which, at this level, is just observing the driver. We are not teaching him how to drive, we are simply observing what he does and correcting and upgrading his technique," Hardy explains.
The ADA test examines all the driving skills included in a normal driving test, and also such skills as deportment at the wheel, temperament, vehicle sympathy, consideration and restraint. Drivers are also required to give a commentary.
HEAVY DEMAND
Candidates take the advanced test in vehicles which they normally drive at work, and the two minibuses in the training fleet are in heavy demand. Out of a fleet of 223 vehicles, 50 are minibuses: "At the time of deregulation we only had two minibuses," says Yates, "but in a city the size of Cardiff we could not ignore that kind of innovation. On the lightly-loaded routes we have turned from double-deckers to minis. On other routes we have deployed minibuses to step up frequencies quite considerably."
Cardiff Bus has got the heavy stagecarriage market well covered within the city: only British Rail provides any real competition with its 20 stations within the company's boundaries. The heavy investment in minibuses has helped Cardiff Bus to plug any gaps that competitors might have taken advantage of.
"We have been doing a lot of recruiting during the past 18 months to establish a minibus labour force, so most of the minibus drivers have less experience than the double-deck drivers. The new recruits, however, are well presented within the ADA," says Yates.
The ADA represents a complete crosssection of the company's driving force. Most of the minibus drivers have less than 18 month's experience, while some double-deck drivers have many years with the company. "You often get an attitude with the older drivers of "I am a professional driver and I don't need to be taught how to drive", so you have to get over to them that they are not being taught to drive — all we are doing is upgrading their technique," says Hardy. "It is surprising that once one has done it, he encourages interest within his own age group.
"Our youngest member is 21 and our oldest is near retirement. I have been totally flaggergasted by the response." 0 by Paul Newman