Why “Duty of Care” Matters For Ground Transportation Providers

A detailed “Duty of Care” travel policy creates an infrastructure of safety and accountability for business travelers during day-to-day trips, and also creates an action plan in the event of any emergency situations, anywhere on the globe.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has been releasing more information recently on safety measures for business travelers, especially in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris and Belgium. A term that has become prevalent now is “Duty of Care,” which is a legal term meaning that a company has a responsibility to make sure its employees or clients remain free from harm during business, and that actions are taken to prevent any foreseeable harm that could happen in the future.

For the travel industry, think of it as a common law “fiduciary responsibility” to make sure employees traveling on business are given accommodations that are rated to be safe and secure, and that insurance policies and plans-of-action are in place for emergency situations.

In the ground transportation industry, the term “Duty of Care” has now become very important in light of the rise of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft. For TNCs, their operating services have been under-insured, and under-regulated since their inception, and it’s important for travel managers to know that in this global climate, where security risks happen with frightening speed often without notice, it’s crucial to make sure your ground transportation providers adhere to a “Duty of Care” policy.

The GBTA has just released a Travel Risk Management Maturity Model (TRM3™) Self-Assessment Tool, that can help give travel managers an idea of what a good “Duty of Care” policy consists of. It includes things like data management, education and training, notification policies, global communication strategies, and more.

Another article released by the GBTA, shows how by instituting a “pre-approval” travel policy for employees, especially for certain “higher-risk” destinations, travel managers are able to decrease their overall travel risk by having this higher standard of booking requirements.

Travel managers should look for ground transportation providers that adhere to all requirements for safety, and go above and beyond by implementing new “Duty of Care” policies that keep track of all travelers, and keep them safe if anything goes wrong.

By having a plan in place when a terrible tragedy takes place like the attacks in Paris and Belgium, companies will be able to immediately locate all of their out-in-the-field employees and enact the required evacuation procedures should they be deemed necessary.

When it comes to human lives, no detail can be overlooked, and that’s why “Duty of Care” is so important for travel managers and ground transportation providers alike.

DPV Transportation Worldwide is a strong advocate for “Duty of Care” and we implement strict policies to make sure our operations adhere to the highest standards possible all around the globe for ground travel. All of our chauffeurs are drug-tested regularly and we carry full commercial insurance on all of our vehicles. Each vehicle goes through scheduled maintenance checks and servicing, and we keep detailed records for reporting. DPV Transportation also utilizes advanced GPS tracking with an integrated booking software to keep track of all riders and allow them to book rides on company accounts, making accounting more organized and online purchases more secure.