The FORS initiative was awarded the annual Fleet Award, sponsored by the Institute of Advanced Motorists, after judges agreed it was an outstanding model of its kind, carefully planned and monitored and well overdue for recognition.
Launched in 2008, FORS is an industry-led accreditation scheme that helps operators improve operational performance and safety, measure and monitor performance as well as ensure and demonstrate compliance and best practice.
Despite originally being a "London" scheme, around two-thirds of FORS accredited operators are now based outside the M25, and TfL said it is working with the industry to bring an external partner onboard to help expand FORS more widely. The scheme will be officially rolled out across the UK in January 2015 and an announcement on the successful partner will be made later this year.
Announcing the award, Adrian Walsh, director of The Prince Michael Awards, said: ‘One in three serious crashes involve a driver who is at work. FORS is a world-class example of how safety can be improved through engagement and leadership and here in London we now have a proven programme which is ready to be rolled out across the country and indeed internationally.’
Leon Daniels, managing director for Surface Transport at TfL, said: ‘FORS has helped transform how fleet and freight vehicles operate in London, encouraging greater compliance, better training, lower emissions and improved road safety. We are delighted to be awarded this international award, which shows the determination and drive we are putting into making London's roads better for all.’
