MANDATORY STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
FOR SAFETY IN ROAD TRAVEL
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this document is to provide high levels of care and safety during road travel on duty. The guidelines have been structured to cover mandatory standards and recommended good practices for travel in company dedicated buses, cars and hired cars.
Selection of Transport
Selection of mode of transport i.e. metro rail / local train, buses, cars is left to the discretion of the concerned Delivery/ Solution/ Geographical Centre Head based on guidelines and on eligibility.
Vehicles should be hired through an approved transporter.Employees purchasing two wheelers for their personal use should be encouraged to opt for motor cycles rather than scooters as the larger wheel diameter makes the motor cycle inherently more stable.
Condition of vehicles Vehicle should be roadworthy.The vehicles must meet the minimum requirement given below:
Foot brakes must be in good working order.Hand brake must be in proper working orderTyres including spares must be in good condition judged by the thread.Head lights, tail/ parking lights, indicators lights brake lights, must be functioning.Both the front windshield wipers must be functioning.Horns should be operational and audible.One seat belt for driver, cleaner and each passenger must be provided.
Motor cycles must have leg guardsVehicles have the necessary statutory/ legal approvals.Driver has a valid driving license. This is intended to cover all types of vehicles i.e. two wheelers, cars multi utility vehicles, dedicated buses. A checklist has been provided in Appendix ” A” which must be filled prior to hiring a vehicle by the Transport Company and countersigned by the traveling associate after visual checks on items like types, wipers, horn, and general physical condition. If the condition is found unsatisfactory the car should be returned and a new one indented. For dedicated vehicles these should be substituted by periodic documented checks every fortnight.
Approved transporters should be given the check list which should be filled up prior to the journey and the countersigned copy should be submitted by the transporter along with his bills. Each Centre/ Solution/ Geographical Head must prepare a list of approved transporters form whom vehicles can be hired and our requirement be built into the contracts with them.
Maintenance of company vehicles
Carry out routine daily checks using a pre-use checklist and maintain recordsEnsure that routine servicing of the vehicle at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer is carried out.Carry out repairs of the vehicles at designated approved garages which are selected by each site.Maintain vehicles in neat and clean state at all time.
Tools and emergency equipment
A portable fire extinguisher and first aid kit should be provided in dedicated buses.All vehicles used for inter city travel must have a first aid kit. A list of the contents of the first aid kit is provided in Appendix B.Spare tyre tools provided must be maintained.
Inter City Travel
A break of 10 minutes after every 2 hours of continuous travel should be observed.Ensure adequate rest for the driver before embarking on long journeys.For trips outside the city the front passenger seat should not be used unless the number of passengers makes it absolutely necessary.
Speed limits
Adhere to specified speed limits when traveling within a city.On highways vehicles must not exceed 80 kms./hr for cars/ multi-utility vehicles and 60 kms/hr for buses. However these should be reduced if adverse driving conditions are encountered.Install speed limit governors on dedicated buses to prevent over speeding.
Other Specific Areas Both driver and pillion rider on two wheelers must wear helmets irrespective of whether these are mandated by legislation or not. This should be enforced for all persons who go to work on two wheelers in our Delivery/SolutionCenters, factories and offices.
All passengers must wear seat belts when seated in a company vehicle. Drivers must be instructed to ensure that all passengers have fastened their seat belts.Vehicles must not be used to carry passengers beyond approved numbers.
No passengers must be carried in the cargo section or any transport vehicle. (specified in vehicle registration/ insurance documents)When transport arrangements are made with a transporter these guidelines should be part of the contract.
Drivers while driving are not permitted to make or take any telephone calls (including hands free cell phones/ car phones, if any) or attempt to use any other electronic business tools e.g. laptops, organizer’s etc. Such equipment must only be used while the vehicle is legally parked in a safe location.When an associate is leaving office late at night, mandatory he or she should leave mobile number with security prior departure. Person required to travel at night regularly, should avoid wearing costly jewelry.Emergency help numbers like Police & ambulance should be available in Buses/ Cars. In case of problems, during the journey, associate /driver should call the emergency helpline immediately.
All night car drivers’ background checking are required by the agency. The same process of background checks must be followed for all new drivers.Service provider should provide list of all drivers, along with current photograph, address and other contact details.Overtaking/rash driving by the Bus driver should be checked by the Person during journey and reported to location Admin if found not following.
Medical conditions
Driving after consumption of alcohol is prohibited. Persons with epilepsy & uncontrolled diabetes must not drive any vehicle.Company/ Dedicated drivers must undergo an annual check up for general health and specifically for Eyesight, Hypertension, Epilepsy, Diabetes and Tuberculosis.
