Asda Logistics Services is to give vulnerable road user awareness training to its 2,400 in-house drivers as it looks to reduce the risks of driving in urban areas.

The supermarket told MT its move towards small-format stores, boosted by its acquisition of Netto in May 2010, meant drivers were increasingly delivering in built-up areas, as opposed to out-of-town superstores.

“We make 936,000 deliveries a year to stores: that’s 84 million miles a year. The more you do, the more risk is associated. We are keen to take responsibility for what we do,” said training manager John Rogerson.

He added that there was a shared responsibility for all road users, given the increased number of cyclists on the roads.

The course, which is Jaupt-approved and will form part of Driver CPC modules, was developed with training firm System Training. “I’m an advocate of visual stimulation in training: a picture says a thousand words. System has done a fantastic job in providing [DVD] material that hits the spot and sends the message properly,” said Rogerson.

He said Asda has tailored every CPC module to suit its needs, rather than use standardised modules.

Asda Logistics Services is 98.4% complete on Driver CPC. “The business has set the challenge to have year-five content delivered by August 2014, and we are on track for that,” said Rogerson.

Last week Labour entered the cycling debate with the launch of an HGV Safety Charter.

  • The Transport Committee will hold an evidence session on cycle safety later today in Westminster.

Topics