National award for TfGM urban driving course

A course run by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to make HGV drivers in Greater Manchester more aware of the risk they pose to more vulnerable road users has won a national fleet industry award.

TfGM received the Road Safety in the Community Award and was highly commended in the Public Sector Driver Safety Award at the UK Fleet Champions Awards for its work with Nationwide Cycling Academy (NCA). The award winners were announced during an event hosted by road safety charity Brake, at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium.

Since launching, the NCA course has become a trusted provider for the region’s logistics and transport sector looking to ensure their workforce can share the road safely with cyclists and pedestrians. Courses see HGV drivers swap their cabs for the saddle to view the city-region’s road from the perspective of a more vulnerable road user.

The EMR Group is of one of the many companies to have sent its employees on one of NCA’s safe urban driving courses.

Mark Harrison, Northwest Transport Manager at EMR, said:

“We decided as a company, to send our drivers on this course to help us gain the FORS Silver standard accreditation.

“As a fleet operator based within the Greater Manchester region, gaining this accreditation shows the commitment from EMR to raise the level of quality within its fleet operations, and to demonstrate that our operators are achieving exemplary levels of best practice in safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.

“This course, as well as being a necessity for the accreditation, goes a long way to helping our drivers manage road risk by changing their attitudes and perceptions to better understand the hazards and behaviours of vulnerable road users.”

Paul Cheetham, one of the drivers based at EMR’s Salford depot, added:

“I thought the course was delivered really well, they got the balance just right.

“I gained a better understanding of how and why cycles take up certain positions, especially at junctions.”

The courses, which are delivered in partnership with and subsidised by TfGM, cost £10 and are designed for professional HGV, LGV and PCV drivers to help them reduce risks and avoid accidents on the road and will run until March 2023.