Blog

Steve Bellamy - Wednesday 23rd May 2007 - 14:02

In response to Petra's posting on the 1st March her company should have a written policy on employee's behaviour and responsibilities whilst driving on company business. This should refer to the fact that employees are expected to comply with the law and that any fines or penalties incurred are the personal responsibility of the employee. If the company expects employees to be contactable when they are driving then it is really for the company to look into the possibility of kitting out company vehicles with appropriately compliant hands free devices so that employees can make and recieve calls without commiting an offence.

Petra Piper - Monday 12th Mar 2007 - 09:09

I see from the newspaper that the Police are using this law to issue a fixed penalty fine of £60 to drivers who are found eating whilst driving a vehicle. A salesman was eating a cheese and pickle sandwich whilst driving between appointments and was issued with a fixed penalty notice for driving without due care and attention. The salesman said that the sandwhich was not very nice anyway! You need to warn your drivers about this as well.

Blog Author Chris Ellis' Response:

I would agree with you that the use of mobile phones on public transport can be a real nuisance for other people.  It is not dangerous, however, like using a mobile phone whilst driving without a hands free kit.  Some train companies do provide quiet coaches where the use of mobile phones and MP3 players, which can be just as big a nuisance, are banned.  Maybe we should start lobbying Government to ban these devices on public transport, I am sure it would be a popular move, with some people!

Joshua Blow - Tuesday 6th Mar 2007 - 19:07

Never mind banning the use of hand held mobile phones whilst driving, what about banning their use on public transport? I sit on my train going home from work, after a hard day in the office, having to listen to other people, speaking at the top of their voices, about what they are going to have for their dinner that evening or arranging to be picked up from the station or even intimate discussions that may be more interesting but should not really be shared with fifty other people. They always seem so chuffed with themselves that they have got some illicit affair going on or that they have such a busy social life. All I want to do is complete the daily soduko, read my newspaper or have a cat nap on the way home, instead I have to listen to somebody else’s conversation! Maybe these people still think they are in their cars! Trying to do my bit for the ozone layer I now use public transport as much as I can but if I have to put up with this inconvenience every day I will think again. I would suggest treating mobile phones in the same way as smoking and ban their use in public places!

Petra Piper - Thursday 1st Mar 2007 - 09:09

Yes it is a problem we have more than 150 drivers and I have already had a telephone call from our Transport manager about how we should deal with a driver who has been stopped by the Police for using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving. The driver is asking the company to reimburse him for the £60 fixed penalty notice because the call came from the company and was for a legitimate business reason. He says he took the call in the best interests of the business. This is Health & Safety issue and I think I should take a hard line with this revised legislation. What are other people doing?