Vehicle tracking in the communications sector


In the postal sector, Royal Mail has introduced GPS vehicle trackers in collection and delivery vehicles. In 2010, the company said that following the introduction of DigiCore’s C-track system in 8,000 vehicles (around a third of its fleet), driver productivity had increased by 3%, accident rates had been reduced by 20%, instances of speeding were down by more than 60%, and harsh braking reduced by 70%, contributing to greater fleet efficiency.


In preparation for the introduction of a new tracking system for the Royal Mail network fleet in 2014, Royal Mail Logistics and the CWU communication workers’ union concluded a new agreement, providing for full CWU involvement in implementation, monitoring, and assessment of the system.


The new system, based on real-time tracking, a satellite navigation system and two-way driver communication technology, would be introduced initially in heavy goods vehicles before later being rolled out to smaller vans, with the aim of cutting fuel use by around 10%. 


The agreement stated that both parties agreed that: “All individuals have a right to privacy at work and it is accepted that there is a mutual obligation of confidence and trust applied to every contract of employment and that all parties should act in a way so as not to break that relationship. As such driver performance data produced will remain confidential to the individual and will not be displayed on notice boards or in league tables.” 


The agreement also stated that the new technology was not to be deployed for, or used as, a disciplinary tool, and would not be used for “day-to-day performance management”. Full training would be provided in the operation of the system.