Sheffield Community Transport (SCT) is a charitable organisation based in Sheffield, UK, that has been providing transport to those in need since 1985. They employ over 100 staff, have 40 volunteers, and operate 49 minibuses providing elderly and disabled people with access to shops, medical appointments and social functions.
SCT has a comprehensive Health and Safety Policy in place, which has been developed in conjunction with the Freight Transport Association. It covers all aspects of the organisation’s operations, including at-work driving.
All drivers undergo a standard induction procedure that includes detailed instructions around daily procedures, relevant legislation and SCT’s policies. All drivers on the community transport service are trained to Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS) standard. SCT is an accredited training agency and provides a range of transport training courses to drivers, including all MiDAS modules and courses as part of the Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC).
The organisation has in-house maintenance facilities and all vehicles conform to Department for Transport guidelines regarding safety checks. Random checks are also carried out by Freight Transport Association representatives on a regular basis. All drivers must complete a walk-round check before driving and complete associated paperwork. They are required to complete a signed defect sheet (even if there are no defects), which is passed to supervisory staff for immediate attention.
“Vehicle tracking enables SCT to pinpoint drivers’ locations and routes, and provide updates to customers on arrival times, helping them to better serve their clients by providing them with reassurance that the driver will arrive.”
SCT senior management identified that monitoring their drivers’ behaviour at the wheel and tracking their vehicles was of growing importance to managing their road risk, as their fleet grew from two to 49 vehicles. To address this, they implemented a telematics system from Quartix.
The system enables them to monitor driver behaviour including speed, braking and acceleration. It generates Driving Style reports on individual drivers, which can then be compared to all other drivers in the organisation and used to create a driver league table, to determine who is driving efficiently and smoothly and who may need extra training or other interventions.
Vehicle tracking enables SCT to pinpoint drivers’ locations and routes, and provide updates to customers on arrival times, helping them to better serve their clients by providing them with reassurance that the driver will arrive.
Since implementing these measures, SCT has seen a notable reduction in insurance claims. Using the telematics system has also helped the organisation to reduce wear and tear on tyres and improve fuel consumption, reducing their fuel costs by 7-8% to date.
+44 (0) 114 276 6148