Safety

in Employee Transport

Safety is an important element of any service provided by companies to their employees. Employee
transport by nature makes is a very challenging to ensure everything is in check. One big issue is the
service happens outside the premises of the office and is in less control of the employer/company.
Lets look at some of the measures that can be put in place.

Preventive measures

These are measures that you put in place so that one can avoid situations leading to a safety
incident.
Compliance: One must ensure that that the driver and vehicle documentation is in order. Some of
the important documents are driver background check, vehicle maintenance history and vehicle
registration. In complying to all the rules before a trip is assigned to a cab vendor could make a big
difference.
Security escort: When women are travelling after dark and are the last drop in a trip its important to
have a security escort in the vehicle.
Technology features: A panic button on a mobile app and a physical panic button in the car can help
in dire situations.
Other features: Its important to have a manual of activities that need to be executed for different
types of unforeseen events like a vehicle accident or break-down, so that remedial actions are swift.
Both driver and employee cell numbers can be masked through a bridge number.

Real-time measures

Some safety measures must be put in place after a trip has started. Trips need to be monitored to
see that they have ended on time. If any trip that has started and has not ended at the estimated
time a notification should be sent for further actions to be taken.
Ability to track the vehicle helps once a trip is started. So, monitoring the vehicle locations on a map
is a good practice.

An issue often faced in the ground is a new back-up vehicle and driver being introduced into the
system in the last minute. One should have technology systems and processes that would allow
adherence of basic compliance measures that can be applied real-time. A very rigid system and
poorly implemented system can ensure safety but will put a big stress on operations. This often
leads to passenger anxiety or gaps in adherence to safety measures.

Safety like many other services is more than just about putting in a string of measures to overcome
loop holes in the system. One needs to ensure technology and ground operations are in-synch in
executing various processes and applying changes to systems in a continuous feedback cycle.

India is a country where safety has always got a lower priority. Its important to ensure that that the
on-ground team gives it due regard and are constantly re-enforced on how critical safety is for the
business and the passengers being transported.