Leading European bus and coach operator ALSA has decided to rollout the IRU RoadMasters solution across its entire network. The company is deploying the programme in Morocco first; Spain will follow shortly.
After a successful initial pilot in 2020, paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, ALSA has selected IRU RoadMasters to endorse its objective and independent professional standards. The reputation of IRU RoadMasters as a high-level benchmark for international standards in the industry was the main reason that drove ALSA’s decision.
IRU RoadMasters helps mobility and logistics operators develop, strengthen and manage key workers, especially commercial drivers, with state-of-the-art training and assessment solutions. In addition to certifying professional drivers, it also provides companies with digital dashboards to monitor and manage driver’s skills profile.
IRU RoadMasters comes as a strong complement to ALSA’s “Risk Elimination” Program whose goal is to improve the safety of the organisation by ensuring that employees understand and meet the required levels of safety.
ALSA employs 15,000 people and operates 5,400 vehicles, carrying 437.3 million passengers a year.
José Manuel Suárez Argüelles, ALSA’s Director of Training and Selection, said: “At ALSA we work to improve the safety of our operations, and to do this, we put a lot of effort into training, establishing Global Safety Standards, and disseminating said rules. IRU RoadMasters not only endorses our work but also provides us with interactive dashboards to provide us with transparent dynamic data on drivers’ professional abilities”.
IRU’s Director for Certification and Standards, Patrick Philipp, said: “IRU is extremely proud to be working with ALSA, as both organisations have placed safety at the top of their agendas”.
The programme has been initially rolled out throughout ALSA operations in Morocco, along with a capacity programme to raise the level of professionalism of Moroccan bus drivers.
More ALSA operations will follow with the rollout through 2022 and beyond.