THE SAFED van driver training programme which aims to deliver cheaper, greener and safer driving to van drivers has now entered the “commercial” stage.

The Department for Transport (DfT) committed £2.6 million to train the first 7,500 drivers with the objective being that once this target is met, the SAFED programme will be embedded in industry and ownership of its continued delivery will be met by a network qualified training instructors.

Results from the programme show that the 7,500 drivers trained in the SAFED techniques averaged an improvement in miles per gallon of more than 24% on the day, up to 60% reduction in driver faults, 34% reduction of the number of gearchanges and a 1.5% reduction of journey time.

It is calculated that these benefits can equate to a £500 fuel saving per vehicle, depending on mileage, which is a significant impact on industry.

The programme is now being managed and delivered on a commercial basis by industry, as Claire Shrewsbury, programme manager for the Government- funded element of SAFED explains: “The DfT funding has helped to equip the network of SAFED trainers with the standard to deliver SAFED into the future on a commercial basis.

“It is expected that the commercial roll-out will continue the success we’ve seen during the funding-phase and that SAFED will be recognised as a key requirement for driver training and development.”