Buckinghamshire launches respect campaign

Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) is launching its Respect our Workforce campaign, amid what it calls increasing concerns about abuse directed at its employees by some road users.

It says incidents of abusive behaviour, or dangerous driving on road works sites, are unfortunately common for the road workers and TfB staff whose job it is to keep the roads safe. Since January this year, 30 incidents of dangerous or abusive driver behaviour have been reported by its road workers, all of which it says endanger lives and make Buckinghamshire’s roads less safe. Abuse aimed at parking officers and call centre staff is also frequent.

In an open letter to local press, County Councillor Mark Shaw (Cabinet Member for Transportation) said: “All of our workers out on the roads are there to do a job, and without them, the roads would be less safe. Instances of abuse will not be tolerated by us, and we have the full support of Thames Valley Police. Road workers are perfectly within their rights to phone the police if they are abused, threatened, or endangered on the job. Just think – would you put up with this?”

Acting Inspector David Washington, from Thames Valley Police’s Aylesbury Neighbourhood Team said: “Nobody should have to tolerate abuse or violence in the work place. Thames Valley Police is committed to working with our partner agency Transport for Buckinghamshire to ensure we are preventing and robustly investigating crime; supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice.”

Transport for Buckinghamshire is a public/private sector alliance run by Ringway Jacobs and Buckinghamshire County Council to deliver highways services within Buckinghamshire.