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28/01/2015 11:36
“A ‘FORS’ for good…” Steve Agg FCILT comments on the announcement that the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme is to go national
The recent announcement that Transport for London, which devised and has operated the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) within London for a number of years was letting a concession to take the scheme ‘national’ will have been of interest to CILT members. The principal reason being that your Institute is a partner within the winning bid. Together with specialist auditing business Fleet Source, and the lead partner AECOM, which many of you will know as a world leading transport and infrastructure consultancy business, we make up the FORS Community Partnership. TfL launched FORS in early 2008 in an effort to improve road safety and to reduce the wider environmental and traffic impacts of fleet operations. Fleet operators are encouraged to sign up for accreditation to the scheme and are required to operate to a set of agreed standards. Some 200,000 vehicles from 2,400 companies are already accredited and the scheme is having a significant impact on the professional standards of the businesses and individuals involved. Having been successful in London the scheme is now being made available across the UK and this, along with making the scheme financially sustainable is the objective of the newly formed partnership of which CILT is a member. High on our list of goals as a professional Institute is the requirement to raise the image and status of our profession. Our involvement in promoting and expanding a proven and award winning quality management system for fleet operators across the UK and beyond offers us a significant new opportunity to further this aim. Additionally, we will engage with many individuals, businesses and public bodies we may not otherwise reach as we seek to increase the number of accredited organisations. Safer roads for all, improved environmental conditions and a better understanding of the needs of freight and fleet operators by local authorities, regulators and contract specifiers all flow from the requirements of the scheme. Improving standards within our profession, particularly where operations are at their most visible to the public at large bring significant beneficial outcomes which are good for us all.

28/01/2015 11:36

“A ‘FORS’ for good…” Steve Agg FCILT comments on the announcement that the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme is to go national

The recent announcement that Transport for London, which devised and has operated the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) within London for a number of years was letting a concession to take the scheme ‘national’ will have been of interest to CILT members. The principal reason being that your Institute is a partner within the winning bid. Together with specialist auditing business Fleet Source, and the lead partner AECOM, which many of you will know as a world leading transport and infrastructure consultancy business, we make up the FORS Community Partnership.

TfL launched FORS in early 2008 in an effort to improve road safety and to reduce the wider environmental and traffic impacts of fleet operations. Fleet operators are encouraged to sign up for accreditation to the scheme and are required to operate to a set of agreed standards. Some 200,000 vehicles from 2,400 companies are already accredited and the scheme is having a significant impact on the professional standards of the businesses and individuals involved.

Having been successful in London the scheme is now being made available across the UK and this, along with making the scheme financially sustainable is the objective of the newly formed partnership of which CILT is a member.

High on our list of goals as a professional Institute is the requirement to raise the image and status of our profession. Our involvement in promoting and expanding a proven and award winning quality management system for fleet operators across the UK and beyond offers us a significant new opportunity to further this aim. Additionally, we will engage with many individuals, businesses and public bodies we may not otherwise reach as we seek to increase the number of accredited organisations. Safer roads for all, improved environmental conditions and a better understanding of the needs of freight and fleet operators by local authorities, regulators and contract specifiers all flow from the requirements of the scheme.

Improving standards within our profession, particularly where operations are at their most visible to the public at large bring significant beneficial outcomes which are good for us all.