WestOne Passenger Cars takes both road safety and the safety of our passengers very seriously and in support of this has initiated a number of projects.
BRAKE
WestOne Cars has taken the Brake ‘Pledge to Drive Safely’. WestOne Cars has a national fleet capacity of over 2500 throughout the UK. The ‘Pledge to Drive Safely’ is the Road Safety Charity’s campaign to get people to drive more safely thereby saving lives on the road.
The 12-point pledge requires companies to promote the following:
- Belt Up – Front and back;
- Slow Up – Abide by limits and only overtake if safe;
- Buck Up – Calm yourself before driving if stressed, angry or excited;
- Shut Up – Put your phone on messenger service;
- Wake Up – Take breaks every two hours on long journeys;
- Move Up – Head restraints to no lower than the top of your ears;
- Back Up – From the vehicle in front;
- Sober Up – Just say ‘no’ to alcohol and drugs if driving;
- Wise Up – If it’s night, bright or bad weather – go slower;
- Sharpen Up – Wear glasses or lenses if you need them;
- Check Up – Check brakes, tyres, mirrors, windows.
Regular vehicle checks are an important part of WestOne Cars' safety policy.
Andrew Bernard, Chief Executive of WestOne Cars said: “Our fleet spends most of its time of the road and therefore this ‘pledge to drive safely’ consists of 12 points that are of great importance to us all. We have always advocated safety on the roads and express this to our fleet and therefore are delighted to be able to support Brake in this way.”
‘BUCKLE UP IN THE BACK’ POLICY
WestOne Cars operates a strict ‘Buckle up in the back’ policy and politely asks all customers to wear their seat-belt whilst they are a passenger with WestOne Cars – there is also an information leaflet in each vehicle.
Robert Gifford, Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said "I welcome this initiative by WestOne Cars. In the event of a crash, wearing a seat-belt can save not just your own life but the life of the driver as well. Belting up is in everyone's interest. It also means that you're complying with the law."
Ben Heatley, Policy Office at Brake said: “It is a crying shame that a significant minority of people still refuse to use the most effective safety feature that any car has to offer. If everyone would belt up on every trip then hundreds of lives would be saved every year”
i) Vehicle Safety:
All WestOne Cars vehicles are regularly inspected by the WestOne Cars Quality Assurance Team and are replaced on a regular basis.
ii) Personal Safety for Passengers:
The private hire industry has been plagued by a poor reputation with the terms ‘minicab’ and ‘safe’ unlikely to be used in the same breath in many parts of the UK, particularly London. This is an area WestOne Cars Passenger Cars has worked to change.
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS)
Andrew Bernard, the Chief Executive of WestOne Cars spoke at the National Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) Conference on the subject of “Minicabs and Safe: Are these terms that can be used together?” He discussed the changes which are being witnessed in the London Private Hire Industry such as licensing. WestOne Cars believes that the real, legal and honest operators in the private hire industry have both ethical and commercial reasons to join the fight in eradicating the industry of those that have damaged it.
DRIVER ID
WestOne Passenger Cars is a recognised private hire company and all drivers undergo vigourous security checks, are highly trained and all carry ID badges – an initiative launched by the Public Carriage Office (PCO) in 2003 in order to expose and remove unlicensed operators in the industry. WestOne Cars has always advocated the use of ID cards by drivers and was involved in a BBC news item which discussed the launch of these cards.
“The industry is undergoing a cleansing period at the moment. As we go forwards if anyone has such a criminal record then they will be weeded out. We are delighted that the PCO has implemented the driver ID project as it will ensure that such policies become industry wide”
Am Pall, Fleet Operations Director, WestOne Passenger Cars speaking on BBC London News, 31 July 2003
WestOne Passenger Cars supports both the PCO and the Metropolitan Police with their licensing objectives and is committed to raising the industry bar and plays a leading role in regaining the reputation of the private hire industry.