GreenRoad Technologies > Case Studies > Empowering Driver Safety: Metroline's Adoption of GreenRoad and Blink

Empowering Driver Safety: Metroline's Adoption of GreenRoad and Blink

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Sensors - Autonomous Driving Sensors

Applicable Industries

Education
Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Human Resources
Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Driver Performance Monitoring
Onsite Human Safety Management

Services

System Integration
Training

The Customer

Metroline

About The Customer

Metroline is one of London’s largest bus companies, with 4,100 drivers and 1,600 vehicles. The company was looking for a comprehensive and advanced telematics system that could be easily understood by their drivers, fostering a sense of fairness and encouraging a 'friendly competition' around safety. They needed a system that could be integrated with their internal corporate communications platform, Blink, to ensure efficient communication with their drivers. Metroline also wanted to get extensive buy-in from not only the drivers and operational managers, but importantly also from the unions and all other departments within the company.

The Challenge

In 2015, Metroline, one of London’s largest bus companies, began using GreenRoad in four depots to supplement another telematics system used elsewhere in the business. By 2020, Metroline selected GreenRoad for its entire fleet of buses in London. The challenge was to ensure that the drivers could easily understand their safe driving scores, fostering a sense of fairness and encouraging a 'friendly competition' around safety. The trade unions needed to understand that the system actually empowered their drivers. The challenge also involved getting extensive buy-in, not only from the drivers and operational managers, but importantly also from the unions and all other departments within the company.

The Solution

The solution involved deploying GreenRoad across the whole of Metroline, which was more about employee relations than technical details. Metroline formed a steering committee so that drivers, engineers and representatives from all departments could get involved in the decision making. They held training meetings, and ran a communications campaign that educated drivers on all aspects of the initiative. Green safety scores were publicized on a leaderboard, with drivers closely monitoring where they stood in the rankings. The safety scores were used as the basis for 'friendly competition' – with rewards as an extra incentive. Metroline also integrated GreenRoad with Blink, their internal corporate communications platform, which made it easy to get good information to thousands of drivers quickly and efficiently, and fostered a sense of community.

Operational Impact

The implementation of GreenRoad and its integration with Blink has resulted in a positive reception from Metroline’s frontline staff. The system is easy for the drivers to use, and it feels fair because they can understand it. Drivers are able to look at the data themselves, and see the areas where they can improve. They can go to their GreenRoad Champion and get relevant advice. Drivers can focus their energy on becoming safer, and this benefits everyone within the company and on the road. The GreenRoad Platform provides drivers with a simple metric for rating their skill: the GreenRoad Safety Score. Drivers use Safety Scores to track their own progress, and managers use them to pinpoint issues and fine-tune training. Fleets also use Safety Scores for 'friendly competitions' and award schemes.

Quantitative Benefit

Improvement in Safety Scores: The average safety score improved from around the 50-60 mark to 19, a 65% improvement in safety events in a very short time.
Reduction in insurance costs: Metroline aims to leverage improved safety scores to secure reductions in their insurance premiums.
Improved training: 'GreenRoad Champions' have been appointed in every depot who lead by example and who are available to answer questions.