Business champion wins top public sector award for driving at work initiatives

23 February 2011

Driving for Better Business  champion Calderdale Council, has won the Public Safety Award for its road safety initiatives in this year’s Government Business Awards.

The Council, headquartered in Halifax, runs a diverse fleet of 214 vehicles and more than 1,600 employees drive their own cars for business purposes.

In recent years the Council has upgraded and implemented a new driving at work policy to ensure the safety of its workforce who drive on business and the safety of the public who use services such as community buses, mobile libraries and other services involving vehicles driven by council employees.

In presenting the Council with the Public Safety Award, the publication’s judges said that as a result of the insurance savings ‘the Council will be helping businesses in both public and private sectors by highlighting the advantages of road safety training and supervision’.

On receiving the Award at a presentation at the Twickenham Stadium, the Council’s Road Safety Project Manager, former North Yorkshire Police Superintendent David Short said, “I was very proud to receive it on behalf of Calderdale Council which is the culmination of a team effort involving everyone in the authority, ensuring the work force and the community are safe and in good hands.”

Another Driving for Better Business champion Gateshead Council, won the Environmental Transport Award for its electric vehicle procurement.

The Council has become one of the biggest investors in electric vehicle technology by adding 10 electric vans to its fleet through the Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme. Based on the Ford Transit chassis, vans are powered by advanced Lithium-Ion batteries, and can be fully recharged in around eight hours.

For full press release please click here.