Family-run coach hire business, Park's of Hamilton has around 110 vehicles and employs around 250 staff. We spoke to Depot Trainer, David Beggs, who helped inform the content of our road user awareness training about how they worked with their drivers to help reduce risk to road users.
"We’ve worked with Cycling Scotland for several years now and our partnership is an indication of both parties’ commitment to safer driving and safer roads for all users."
David told us that the training "generated discussion at both management and driver level on the risks associated with underestimating the space vulnerable road users require, especially people who cycle."
Staff at Park's of Hamilton have benefited from "a better understanding from drivers regarding people on bikes, but also their desire to get out on a bike. I’ve had a number of drivers ask if we offered the bike to work scheme and some of our drivers even commute to work by bike.
It’s not just the training side, but the lifestyle and health choices that the drivers are now implementing."
I’ve had a number of drivers ask if we offered the bike to work scheme and some of our drivers even commute to work by bike.
It’s not just the training side, but the lifestyle and health choices that the drivers are now implementing.
"We wanted to give our drivers an understanding of the challenges of riding bikes around towns and cities where large vehicles occupy the same road space."
“We’ve worked with Cycling Scotland before and were keen to maintain our relationship with them.
I was part of the advisory group set up by Cycling Scotland to improve the content around Road User Awareness Training. Since updates to The Highway Code, the course was hugely beneficial for our drivers to understand the hierarchy of road users. We often work within urban and rural areas, and I was keen to give our drivers the most relevant and up-to-date information. I am now qualified to deliver the theory element of the PowerPoint presentation and I’m looking to train our drivers in-house with a delivery partner supplying the practical element.
We wanted to give our drivers an understanding of the challenges of riding bikes around towns and cities where large vehicles occupy the same road space. This is an ongoing issue for us and although we have very few incidents with people who cycle, it’s beneficial for our drivers to understand the challenges for all vulnerable road users.
After the training we saw a notable decline in registered reports. In some cases, people contacted the company to report good passing behaviour from our drivers.
"We look at the number of complaints and incidents reported to us regarding driving standards, especially from pedestrian and cyclist incidents. After the training we saw a notable decline in registered reports. In some cases, people contacted the company to report good passing behaviour from our drivers.
I’d encourage other organisations to consider the training. Park’s of Hamilton has found the course beneficial in a number of areas and keeping our drivers updated on work-related road risk is part of our ethos.
We recently became a JAUPT/DVSA training centre and are looking to increase our course portfolio with courses that are relevant to the type of work we do.”
